The Eden Project 'Gardens for Life' appeal for Kenyan school children
14th September 2011

Monty Don, presenter of BBC Two's Gardeners' World, is to front a radio appeal on behalf of an Eden Project that boosts education for schoolchildren around the world through gardening. 'Gardens for Life' is an international network of school gardening projects created with the aim of giving children the opportunity to share their knowledge and experience of growing with each other. Thousands of pupils in the UK, Kenya, India and Gambia take part, creating school gardens that help them to explore the issues of food security, sustainable development and global citizenship.

Initially, training on how to set up school gardens is given to teachers in subjects such as compost preparation, water management and greenhouse construction. Former 'Gardens for Life' students are then encouraged to help other schools start their gardens and these schools in turn advise their local communities on how best to grow food. The TV presenter and horticulturist, Monty Don, will introduce the 'Gardens for Life' programme on the BBC Radio 4 Appeal on Sunday, September 18th 2011.

In the radio appeal Monty will give the example of Munyaka secondary school in Kenya's Rift Valley, where children grow spinach, kale, carrots, potatoes, maize and beans, helping provide their own lunch but also generating a surplus which helps to reduce school fees. As a result of the 'Gardens for Life' programme, enrolment at the school has increased by more than 50 per cent since the garden was established.

Monty said: 'Gardens for Life offers children an international perspective on their problems. 'In a British school a typical garden pest is greenfly; in Kenya it could be an elephant that flattens your crops.'

Rob Lowe, Gardens for Life Project Manager, said: 'We're really pleased to have Monty Don's support for our Radio 4 Appeal. I can't think of anyone better to make the case for Gardens for Life. We know that Gardens for Life makes a real difference, and thanks to this campaign we will be able to make an even bigger difference.'

About The Eden Project

Eden Project Limited is owned by the Eden Trust, which is a fully registered UK Charity (No. 1093070). Since fully opening in March 2001, more than 13 million people have visited Eden and it has generated £1.1 billion for the local economy. So far capital funding of £141.4 million to develop Eden has been raised from a combination of £55.5 million from the Millennium Commission Lottery Fund, £25 million from the South West Regional Development Agency, £26 million from European funds, £1 million from local and regional government (outside the RDA) and £33.9 million in the form of loans, lease finance and Eden's own revenue generation. For further information, visit www.edenproject.com.

Anyone wishing to donate to Gardens for Life can either call 0800 404 8144 or write a cheque to the Eden Project, marking the back with 'Eden Project - Gardens for Life', and send it to Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal.

All money raised from the Radio 4 appeal will go to support Gardens for Life in schools in Africa.