Growing Together Northumberland

Growing Together Northumberland is our newest exciting 5-year project, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund. This programme reaches communities and supports people aged 16 and over who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), economically inactive or unemployed.

About the Programme

This project aims to improve wellbeing, cultivate skills, and raise aspirations, enabling participants to take their next steps into training, employment or volunteering opportunities within their local community.

The programme helps to improve wellbeing through gardening. This was achieved through opportunities to engage in horticultural activities at The Alnwick Garden to build confidence and resilience. The participates were also able to collaborate and engage in community social action projects to create visible, positive local impact.

Participants were also able to cultivate their skills through volunteering, which helped establish positive routines, develop a stronger sense of purpose and achievement, and raise their aspirations to reach their goals.

Programme Outcomes – how has this programme benefitted the local community?

In 2024/25, 27 participants benefitted from direct support through the project, including volunteering in community projects, volunteering at The Alnwick Garden and one to one employability support to help move people onto their next step.

7 community projects have been established and supported outside of volunteering opportunities at The Alnwick Garden. These projects have included allotments for food growing to be used by the local community, developing unused areas to improve biodiversity and inclusive sensory gardens. An additional 320 members of the community are benefitting from these spaces.

Stories & Impact

Jon Howard, retired engineer and RAF Veteran

Jon got involved in Growing Together Northumberland by project managing ‘Northumberland Skills’, a garden renovation at a specialist SEND college.

“I was concerned about my health and lack of physical activity when I retired. Project managing the garden renovation keeps my brain ticking over and I get a tremendous sense of satisfaction from sharing knowledge with the students”

Chris Bulmer, Volunteer

“Volunteering in the garden gives you the feeling that you have done something worthwhile; of being stimulated by your surroundings and meeting people from different backgrounds.

It gives you the opportunity to learn things – to try things you’ve never tried before

Coming here is a way to escape from day-to-day worries for a few hours. It helps put things in perspective – my mental health has improved since the start of the project“

Meet the Team

Kim Warren

Horticultural Officer

With over 35 years of work in the environmental sector, I help to develop and deliver projects that involve others in action for climate change in active travel, giving people access to nature, restoring habitats and working in partnership to boost the green economy.

How your donation can help

£5 buys wildflowers for bees, insects and a splash of colour!
£10 buys growbags so that people can grow salad and vegetables in their own back yard/garden
£20 buys hand tools for gardening projects
£50 buys topsoil and compost for a new community garden
£100 buys carpentry tools for recycled wood bird box making
£250 buys timber for wheelchair-accessible raised beds, ensuring all budding gardeners can join in
£500 buys a pond liner and plants for a wildlife habitat
£1000 buys brush cutter training for trainees seeking employment

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