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500
tomato seeds rescued from food waste
300
plants grown by participants in their own spaces
1
Added pollination points for bees in urban gardens
300
new interactions with nature through growing
Project Proposed Impact
Project Summary:
Growing Change transformed everyday food waste into opportunities for connection, wellbeing, and hands-on engagement with nature. Over one year, the project rescued 500 tomato seeds discarded from one households kitchen, nurturing them into 300 plants that were grown by participants in their own homes and gardens.
This Included:
By turning small household scraps into living plants, the initiative allowed people to reconnect with the natural world, create pollination points for bees, and experience the joy of growing and caring for something themselves. This project wasn’t just about food—it was about rewilding lives, not just landscapes, showing that small, local actions can have meaningful ecological and personal impact.
‘This was a project that cost nothing to do but had a great impact, it was one to showcase you dont need millions of pounds investment to make a big impact, the soil was my composted food waste mix, the seeds my food waste, the pots bought from a coir suppliers and given out in newspaper, and the stands made from what was available in my garden’ Amy Alexandra Marsden Founder of NPLB
Why It Matters
Food waste is a global issue: over 1/3 of food produced is wasted (FAO, 2022)
Urban pollinators need additional green and flowering points, which small-scale growing can provide (RSPB, 2022)
Growing food at home increases wellbeing, resilience, and environmental awareness (Natural England, 2022)
Participatory gardening fosters connection, skill-building, and personal empowerment
The Story behind the Seeds:
Everyday Nature Connection
Participants nurtured tomato plants at home, experiencing daily interactions with life cycles, pollinators, and plant growth.
Grassroot Action
Low-cost, repeatable, and accessible: seeds came from food waste, pots were recycled, compost was home-made, and stands were improvised—showing that real impact doesn’t require big budgets.
Youth Led Change
Amy Marsden, at the time recently graduated from the University of Sheffield, led this project during a time of personal exploration.
Deep Human Connection
The project created shared learning, conversation, and community around simple acts of growing, engaging people across Sheffield, Rotherham, and Doncaster.