Bringing back nature
Daily contact with nature is linked to less stress, better mood and better health. People want healthier and greener streets but they often lack the time or skills to maintain new planting.
That’s where a Postcode Gardener can help, employed to green up streets in one postcode area and bring neighbours together.
The Co-operative Bank
Protecting the natural world has been at the heart of The Co-operative Bank’s unique, customer-led Ethical Policy for over 30 years, driven by their customers’ concerns for biodiversity and the environment.
Through our partnership, we're putting Postcode Gardeners into the most nature deprived neighbourhoods, to bring back nature and bring communities together.
What does a Postcode Gardener do?
Postcode Gardeners are experts at getting people outdoors, socialising and working together. They help grow plants for flowers, food and wildlife along streets, in front gardens and anywhere else people can enjoy them.
They co-ordinate the plan for the postcode, do some gardening themselves and give volunteers gardening skills so that everyone can dig in and create greener streets.
Watch the launch of our latest project
Our Postcode Gardeners are working where they're needed most
We've identified new areas that would really benefit from some street gardening, by mapping out places that lack green space and are most at risk of air pollution, flooding and urban heating.
In partnership with The Co-operative Bank, we're funding Postcode Gardeners in communities in these areas, to green up their spaces in the way they want. Together, they'll bring back nature to 1,000 spaces across the country. Over the next 3 years, we'll be setting up more and more Postcode Gardeners, in the communities that need nature the most.
Postcode Gardeners in action
Street planters, made by the community, giving space for year round planting.
Bringing school and youth groups into gardening sessions, showing local young people some gardening skills.
Even small areas of a car park can be filled with edible plants for the community to enjoy.
Help us grow more projects
Could your organisation be a Postcode Gardener Delivery Partner? We're looking to expand the programme into new locations, and we need your help to do so.
Delivery Partners are organisations that will work with Friends of the Earth to develop Postcode Gardeners and deliver Postcode Gardener projects in their areas. At all stages, they'll receive support and guidance from us and our growing Postcode Gardener network. Find out more about what it means to be a Delivery Partner and register your interest.
