Training and Mentoring for Skills project

The Training and Mentoring for Skills project is being delivered by St. Edwards.

Funded by Mottingham Big Local Refocused.

Update from St. Edward’s July 2022:

‘The Kitchen Garden is in full swing now and Community Garden Sessions are running every Tuesday 2pm – 4pm. The next projects to tackle are creating herb beds and clearing the church border in the Secret Garden whilst keeping everything else colourful and productive.

We will be a planning a programme of workshops to take us through the autumn and up to Christmas, so if there are any gardening techniques you would like to try out or have an outdoor-related skill or interest you would like to demonstrate, do get in touch to discuss whether we may be able to fit it into the programme.

Do drop in any Tuesday (we are closed during the heatwave!) to join in or just have a chat and find out more about the project. Gardeners and non-gardeners welcome.

Contact the Community Garden Development Manager, Liz on 0788 426585 or email mottinghamcommunitygarden@gmail.com ‘

10 trainees gained hands-on skills in gardening, construction and administration in Year 1 of the project (2021) with 3 living in the Big Local area. 15 mentors have been involved, sharing their skills in employability and trade skills with the trainees.

One of the first tasks for the trainees in the autumn of 2021 was clearing and preparing the soil for hedge planting on the green and around the vicarage boundary. The trainees have developed the Kitchen Garden which now has 16 planting areas. This will provide food for Mottingham Foodbank, also based at St. Edward’s.

The greenhouse was built using recycled water bottles. A green theme runs through this project including the use of recycled wood.

Trainees have gone on field trips including to Kew Gardens and therapeutic gardens as well having the opportunity to undertake online courses of study. There are currently 15 trainees on the project.

Check out our newsletters for further details about this project.

Please speak to Project Manager Jacquie Howell or Rev Catherine Shelley at St. Edwards, St. Keverne Road, Mottingham, if you would like more information.