2025 was a busy year at Kushinga for developing the garden. Our members and volunteers worked hard to set up a new polytunnel, a secure storage shed and a shelter space. They also built a bench made from pallets. Thanks to National Lottery funding we developed a full initiative growing and promoting exotic crops. Despite being core practice based on our ethos of resilience through diversity, this year we stepped up the scheme, by growing a broader range of crops from around the world, and very much reflecting the parts of the world that some of our members originate from: we grew Ugandan Sweet potato, Huckleberry greens from Cameroon, Red Bangladeshi Amaranth, Tsunga (African mustard) from Zimbabwe. We also saw a greater harvest of Chilean Guava berries, and propagated a whole lot more Covo plants (African Kale) to be shared with other gardens.
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Our continuing connections with Fircroft college, meant we had a number of visits from students on their Mother Garden bootcamp course. We have benefited from more involvement from Fircroft students.
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We have recently received new funding from Selly Oak NNS to continue our work, run a second weekly workday, develop our garden space, grow more exotics crops, while involving more young people and vulnerable adults. It will also help boost the garden Mother Garden capacity, where we can share more plants with others and build our network.
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Get in touch to get involved or to find out more about our programme of activities for 2026.
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