The story of We Grow
Just like many great community-born projects, We Grow grew in a totally organic way (pardon the pun!). A family who owned a smallholding offered to share their land with other local people, so that they could all grow their food together.
Everyone who joined had busy lives with work and school, but on workdays they’d chuck on their wellies and come together for a few hours of fun looking after the land, growing food, eating together and hanging out by the fire afterwards.
Over a few years, more and more people in the area asked if they could get some help to do the same and create community on their land, allotments and gardens. Growing groups were brought together and community swaps started happening.
Eventually a CIC was formed by some of the women in the growing groups, who got funding to train a team that carries on the work of connecting people with land in other areas.
The We Grow team is made up of people with all sorts of skills including community development and community organising, self-development, teaching, horticulture, permaculture, biodynamic gardening, market garden production, garden design and local activism.
Networks of growing groups are currently focused in Forest Row, Lewes, Uckfield, Crowborough and surrounding areas. We Grow also runs funded projects, in partnership with other organisations, on large plots around Sussex.
We support groups to develop strong, positive relationships with each other and the local network they’re part of. Growing Community whilst Growing Food is at the heart of what we do.
