Food growing scheme launched at city church

Reverend Annie Blyth said the Big Issue had found the church through its community coffee morning and was chosen due to its strong community ethos

A city church is preparing to pilot a nationwide project which will create an urban garden for growing food in marginalised communities.

Launched by The Big Issue, the Big Grow will lay its roots at St George's Church in Colegate in Norwich with five planters made by The Matthew Project.

Norwich City Council has given the project a grant of up to £2,500, via the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Planters are set to be delivered on Tuesday, ready to be filled by green-fingered volunteers a day later.

The team of about seven volunteers includes a retired landscape gardener and a Big Issue seller who said he wanted to give back to the publication after it changed his life.

Reverend Annie Blyth said she was "delighted" that her church had been chosen to pilot the scheme growing food for people.

"[The Big Issue] came to our church... they saw a desire to build community starting with our community coffee morning and that's what brought them to us.

"It's a continuation of the Big Issue's main vision which is to help people get on with their lives.

"This is helping people help themselves look after this food, pick the food and eat it."

The church will have five new planters as part of the project

Ms Blyth hopes the project will spread to other churches in the city.

She said: "We are starting at Colegate but we will see this food all over the place. Why would it not work? It's a wonderful project."

Parveen Bird, director at The Big Issue and trustee of The Food Foundation, said the project would aim to bring together experienced gardeners with people willing to learn and be a "tool for positive change".

She said: "With rising food prices and limited access to nutritional fruits and vegetables, many in our community face both physical and mental health challenges."