Coventry schoolchildren to benefit from expanded Coventry University allotment scheme

Coventry has 45 allotment sites across the city but many people either don’t know how to access them or face long waiting lists. If you enable schoolkids and their parents to get involved, you’re opening up allotments to families who wouldn’t normally enter these spaces.

This model could also encourage involvement from families who don’t want to take on a whole plot themselves, making participation more accessible and manageable. That can create more access for wider populations, including migrant communities who often have deep knowledge of food growing but lack access to green space. This funding will allow us to expand the pilot to new schools and build a network to support further growth. More people engaging with nature also helps protect it.

As researchers in Coventry, it’s important to give back to the city. Coventry has many beautiful green spaces but not everyone knows or is interested in them. We want to change that.

Dr Jana Fried, Assistant Professor at the Research Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience

Two years ago we took over a community allotment ten minutes from the school due to our lack of green space. Every week a class spends an afternoon there, supporting science learning and teaching food citizenship. Pupils grow beans, potatoes, chard, raspberries, sweetcorn, leeks, pumpkins, rhubarb and more. The produce is used in school meals, shared with families and donated to food banks.

The impact has been huge - practical work helps pupils retain learning, being in green space boosts wellbeing, and they’re more willing to try new fruit and vegetables. We’re keen to share our experience with other schools because many more children could benefit from outdoor learning.

Rebecca Bollands, headteacher at Earlsdon Primary School

Securing money from the Nature Towns and Cities programme provides a great opportunity for us to work with partners, many of whom are part of our Climate Change Board, to introduce more local people to the green space on their doorstep. We will also be working with a range of partners and local people to develop plans and opportunities to help ensure our green and water-based spaces can deliver more benefits for both local people and nature.

Introducing young people to allotments is a great way for them to learn about nature, pick up new skills and of course grow produce to share. Allotments are great assets in the heart of our communities; they support biodiversity and sustainable growing and it will be fantastic for more young people to have the chance to recognise them as part of the future too.

Cllr Lynette Kelly, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change at Coventry City Council

We will use spatial datasets and Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping to map these areas and develop a Coventry green and blue score to guide future initiatives.

The final product will be a freely available digital resource showing local green and blue spaces. We want to know which areas are valued, how they are used and which need improvement. Improving connectivity between green spaces is also key - for wildlife and for people.

Dr Liz Trenchard, Assistant Professor at the Research Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience