What has Grow Wild achieved so far?
Since 2013, over four million people have joined Grow Wild online and on the ground. We’ve won multiple national awards for our scale, impact and creativity.
Children, young people and adults across the UK have achieved positive behavioural change for the environment after leading their own Grow Wild activities, as shown by independent evaluation.
Together, we’ve delivered new appreciation for UK native plants and fungi through growing and sharing, plus new community and wellbeing benefits. This impact is lasting, with most people attributing Grow Wild as their catalyst for taking more positive actions years after taking part.
Overall, 95 per cent of participants would recommend Grow Wild activities.
Grow Wild was publicly voted the UK’s Best Environment Project in the National Lottery Awards on BBC1. The team has also built intellectual and digital assets and engaged community networks.
- So far, 1.62 million people have come together to grow wildflowers in shared urban spaces, 21 per cent of whom were aged 12–25 – as well as more young people involved through their schools. This is thanks to 67,000 groups sharing 307,000 kits.
- Overall, 98 per cent of participants would recommend our kits.
- The greatest impact is on those who grow wildflowers, especially learning and new social connections, and this impact is lasting with continued actions. The wider community also benefit by enjoying the wildflower space with flowers year after year.
- So far, 101,000 people have come to together to grow edible mushrooms using our indoor kits, 23 per cent of whom were aged 12–25 – as well as more young people involved through their schools. This is thanks to 15,000 groups sharing 20,000 kits.
- Overall, 93 per cent of participants would recommend our kits.
- Grow Wild increases the appreciation of fungi through our fun (and sometimes competitive!) opportunities for people to grow mushrooms. People also learn about fungi and most go on to share their knowledge and look for more fungi in nature. This impact is lasting too, with continued actions the following year.
- Grow Wild gives out grants to young people aged 14-25, to run their own projects inspired by our UK native plants and fungi. We've awarded over £125,000 to young people since 2014
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After running their own project, most young people have said the greatest impacts were improved community pride, teamwork and collaboration and new environmental knowledge and skills
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Young people have developed new relationships and connections with other people and their communities, including new friends outside their usual groups. This combined with growing plants and connecting with nature has resulted in wellbeing benefits, especially reducing and having a break from stress .
- We’ve co-created opportunities for 1,200 people to train and connect at 40 events since 2017. People rated our events as an 8.8 out of 10 for usefulness and 95 per cent said they’ll do something new or different as a result.
- We want to change attitudes and empower people to take positive actions by connecting them with each other and nature. We share new ways for people to enjoy UK native plants and fungi.
- We’ve inspired nearly five million online actions for UK native plants and fungi, including one million by people aged 12–25.
- Our digital engagement often creates the initial (and sometime unexpected) experience for people to engage with nature through content, games and online communities. Many people go on to take part in further activities with Grow Wild and our partner organisations.
For access to our annual reports, please get in touch with us.