Young people are being invited to ‘Grow For It’! The one-month countdown has begun and funding is available for local youth groups etc for their creative, wild flower ideas.
Young people in Down have just a few weeks left to apply for £500 funding to make their creative wild flower ideas a reality with a ‘Grow For It’ award.
“Grow For It” is run by Grow Wild, the UK-wide wild flower project, which has teamed up with the Northern Ireland Youth Forum, to look for youth-driven projects.
Each proposal will be assessed by a panel of peers, set up by the NI Youth Forum, that will decide which ideas from across Northern Ireland receive funding – and the ideas can be anything creative with art or planting and can either directly using wild flowers or simply highlighting their importance.
Last year some great schemes received funding across Northern Ireland. The Forthspring Inter Community Group, an interface association in the Springfield/Woodvale area of West Belfast, created Blooming Sharing, where over 400 “seed balls” containing wild flower seeds which were handed out in the local area, hoping to help bring the two communities together and encourage an interest in nature.
Young people from Kells and Connor Youth Committee created a “magical meeting circle” in the middle of a copse of trees in the area, with the space set to be used for storytelling surrounded by native wild flowers and plants.
Stéphanie Baine, Northern Ireland manager for Grow Wild, said: “Northern Ireland is full of amazingly creative young people and I am looking forward to seeing their ideas.
“Previous youth projects here have gone really well and I’ve no doubt things will be the same this year. It’s a great opportunity for young people to express themselves and also do something to benefit their local community.”
There are two separate funding categories. The first, the “Get Creative” award, will give applicants the chance to exhibit their artwork or perform their audio piece outdoors at a high-profile UK summer event.
The second category is the “Transform a Space” award, which provides an opportunity for young people who want to work together to change part of their local area using native plants and wild flowers.
The project can involve more than sowing and growing, as long as it communicates a message about UK native wild flowers and wild spaces in a creative way. It can involve using different containers for growing, arts and crafts or events and activities as well.
The deadline for entries for both Get Creative and for Transform a Space is 22 February 2016. Grow Wild will provide support throughout the process, from discussing ideas with potential applicants, through to making things happen.
For more information go to the website:
https://www.growwilduk.com/content/grow-it
To ask a question or discuss your project idea please email:
growforit@growwilduk.com
or telephone 020 8332 5445 / 5444
