Bringing nature back, bringing people together
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 environment has been a key pillar in The Co-operative Bank's customer-led Ethical Policy for over 30 years. That's why they will never provide banking services to any business involved in the extraction or production of fossil fuels.
Through our partnership with The Co-operative Bank we're putting Postcode Gardeners into the most nature-deprived neighbourhoods, to 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.
We've run 3 trial projects, with Postcode Gardeners working with communities in Hackney, in Chester and in Bideford, Devon. Greener spaces and connected neighbours, we know Postcode Gardeners make a lasting difference.
Meet Steph, our Postcode Gardener in Hackney
A lot of people in Hackney don’t have gardens.
By getting involved in the local gardens, you get the opportunity to play your part in tackling the environmental crisis by preserving habitats for pollinators and quite literally getting your hands in the soil to make a difference in your neighbourhood.
Gardening is a team effort, working together in a garden helps foster collaboration and teamwork. It brings people of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels together to contribute towards a common goal.
Postcode Gardeners in action
Street planters, made by the community, giving space for year round planting.
Teaching people gardening skills, like potting plants and building bug hotels.
Some communities choose to grow edible plants, for everyone to share.
More Postcode Gardeners 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 will fund Postcode Gardeners in communities in these areas, to green up their spaces in the way they want.
Communities in Birmingham, Bristol and London are busy planning how they'd like their streets to be greener. And we're working to get many more projects ready to dig in this summer.
