HERB GROWING COURSE 2024

We are very excited to be running another Herb Growing Course for BPOC in Hackney this year.

With monthly sessions throughout the growing season, this is a great opportunity for someone who wants to learn about and gain experience in organic gardening and herb cultivation.

Who this training programme is for

We recognise that the growing and gardening industry does not reflect or represent the population of the UK, and more specifically of Hackney. We also recognise that there are structural, institutional and economic barriers to reaching and gaining the education and training needed to work in this sector. 

With this in mind, this training programme is for:

  • Black People and People of Colour (BPOC):  While recognising that this is a small step, we believe that prioritising BPOC for this programme is a step in the direction of working towards a more equitable and representative industry, that genuinely provides opportunities for everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, class, gender, background, age, education and experience. This is not an exhaustive list but some examples of BPOC are:

    • People of African descent

    • People of Asian descent (east, south-east, south or central)

    • First Nations peoples & Pacific Islander people

    • Latinx & racialised South and Central Americans

    • Arab & other Middle Eastern & North African ethnic groups

    • Multiracial & mixed race peoples

  • Hackney residents: As we are a social enterprise rooted within our local community this training programme is only open to residents of London Borough of Hackney and residents of Hackney Wick and Fish Island.

  • People who lack financial privilege: This is a free course. We will prioritise those with less financial resources who have faced financial barriers in accessing education and training.

  • Adults 18 years old and above

We encourage applications from people who haven’t had formal or informal training nor volunteered in a gardening or growing project before. We also encourage applications from folks who at present are underrepresented within the gardening and growing world including (but not limited to) queer, trans and gender non-conforming folks. We also welcome applications from those whose first language is not English, newcomers to London and those with irregular immigration status themselves or within their families.

Structure

The course will be for a small group of 8 people.

It will consist of 6 monthly sessions from April to September 2024, on Saturday afternoons at the Hackney Herbal garden in Hackney Wick - - 1 Trowbridge Gardens, 1 Trowbridge Road, E9 5LD.

The sessions will be from 2:30 to 5:30pm on the following dates:
Saturday 20 April
Saturday 18 May
Saturday 15 June
Saturday 20 July
Saturday 17 August
Saturday 14 September

The garden is wheelchair accessible and has an indoor toilet on the ground floor on-site. Sessions will take place no matter the weather (unless there is an extreme weather warning and risk to our health), so a willingness to spend time outdoors in all types of weather is essential.

Costs

The course is free to attend, and all materials will be provided.

If needed, we are able to cover travel expenses for course participants.

Topics covered

The subjects that will be covered include:

  • Life cycles of plants (and what that means to us)

  • The seasons in the garden

  • Plant propagation and cultivation

  • Soil and Growing media

  • Harvesting and storing herbs

  • Organic and sustainable gardening practices

How to Apply

Applications are now closed.

Is this Course not for you?

If you don’t fit the eligibility criteria for this course, or feel it is not quite what you are looking for, here are other ways to get involved (please click the links for more info):

Download the above info as a PDF.