Community Grown Food

I'm facilitating this forthcoming FREE EVENT on Tues 29 March in Cardiff

Allotments & Community Grown Food Event 

As part of its Sustainable Development Framework, the WLGA have begun working in partnership with the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens [FCFCG] on community grown food issues.

The WLGA and FCFCG are organising an event for local authority officers involved in planning and managing allotments and community growing sites.  This event is an opportunity to:

• inform Local Authorities about developments currently taking place within the community growing sector in Wales (and further afield);
• highlight what support is available through the Allotment Regeneration Initiative [ARI] and the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners [NSALG]. It is an opportunity for ARI to extend their successful remit into Wales and engage and consult with council staff responsible for managing allotments in Wales and for the WLGA to also be proactive in addressing the growing demand for the provision of allotments etc – which ultimately relates to food security and sustainable development, as well as health and well-being, biodiversity and regeneration.

What is the aim? This is an exploratory event to: enable the development of ways to promote good practice in allotments management and provision in Wales; promote resources that can facilitate good practice; develop models of good practice from the event; facilitate the development of supportive networks; signpost to organisations that can give help and support; offer constructive and productive delivery. It is also an opportunity to consult and establish circumstances, needs, barriers, etc

What are the desired outcomes?

• Development of an active, supportive, network in Wales in which council staff responsible for the provision and management of allotments can identify their needs, aspirations and barriers in order for support organisations to develop methods of meeting same;
• The establishment of a definitive list of council staff responsible for the management and provision of allotments in Wales;
• This will all help and support the strategic direction of council allotments’ services and land use planning at a localised level in Wales.

Further information from Gill Clarke at the WLGA

Leadership for the next economy

Vincent de Rivaz led a recent inquiry for Business in the Community on ‘Leadership Skills for a Sustainable Economy’; over 700 business leaders participated in the research process and the results gave important insight into what businesses must focus on to ensure they have the skills in place to deliver the transformational change required to achieve a sustainable future.

Key findings of the inquiry:

• 70 percent agree that the gap in these leadership skills will become one of the most pressing challenges facing UK businesses in the next five years
• 90 percent agree that businesses need to do more to prepare their people for the transition to a sustainable economy
• Only 15 percent think developing the skills needed is well or partly established in UK businesses
• 84 percent think there is an urgent need to put more programmes in place

Here's a little Do:

Ask the directors of the business you work for what preparation they have in place to train people for the new economy - circular, service-based, low-carbon and restorative. If you get god answers, do share...