Case Study
Grow Together Bucks (GTB)
Transforming GTB into a sustainable organisation and engaging with more Bucks residents, improving their access to healthy food
(Above) Photo Credit: Christopher Hall
Fund and priority area: Strategic Fund – Environment: Access to healthy food
Who – Grow Together Bucks’s mission is to enhance the lives of individuals, engage with the local community, improve people’s access to fresh food and promote biodiversity. It seeks to help people grow and harvest healthy food, inspiring the next generation through its school projects.
What
A three year grant of £136,000 was awarded in 2023. The aim of the funding is:
- To professionalise GTB to develop a sustainable operating model.
- To bring more people to the ‘no-dig’ community allotment in Wycombe and to improve knowledge within local schools of this sustainable growing practice.
- Establish growing communities in Bucks, to nurture a shared vision around local, sustainable food.
Because of cost-of-living fresh food is expensive and sometimes I need to go without myself to make sure the kids eat fresh fruit and veg – so having fresh was amazing!
(Client)
(Above) Photo Credit: Christopher Hall
The Rothschild Funding has led to further grants funding for the organisation ensuring that vacant staff roles could be filled.
- Delivery in Year 1 has included 65 three-hour allotment sessions, hosted seven allotment meals, doubled volunteers to 21 and organised eight corporate volunteer days.
- Teaching practical food growing skills in three local schools to 52 pupils.
- 25 kgs of fresh produce from the community allotment was donated to One Can Trust in High Wycombe, through the ‘Grow to Give’ scheme.
Funding is not just about running projects, but enabling us to transition into a professional organisation.
Richard Andrews – Director
(Above) Photo Credit: Christopher Hall
Learning
The allotment is now accessible to people with limited mobility, so GTB will be able to work with volunteer wheelchair users. The focus for year two is integrating the school, allotment and corporate volunteer work to create positive environmental and social change in High Wycombe.
