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Projekt Renewable presents The Big Replant, as the community pulls together to restore local children’s efforts following the successful Plant + Paddle events
This summer Projekt Renewable hosted a fully booked programme of Plant + Paddle events - sponsored by The Crown Estate in partnership with Target NEL - which exceeded all expectations since the official launch on Monday, August 12th, at Alexandra Dock in Grimsby.
This positive experience however - which saw more than 100 children take part in guided paddleboarding, explorative canoeing, hands-on planting and creative art activities, to open their minds to how nature and its conservation is inextricably linked with our planet and the importance of renewable energy - suffered an unfortunate setback recently, with £1000-worth of plants being ripped up.
While the containers - that had each been personalised with the names of the children who planted them - were left empty, with soil scattered on the ground and the plants themselves deposited in the river, the sense of community and dedication is now stronger than ever as people have pulled together to replant the containers.
Local people, communities, and businesses have joined forces to help restore this special project, with donations of time, plants and green fingers flooding in. The original planting was made possible through generous sponsorship from The Crown Estate and Crowders, and with this renewed community support, the boxes will once again be filled, allowing the children’s hard work and learning to flourish once more.
In true ‘make do and mend fashion’, the band is getting back together to host The Big Replant on October 13th, from 2pm. The Environmental A-team behind Plant + Paddle will be joining forces once more to restore and replant the flower boxes, and they’re inviting any supportive patrons, partners and local people to do the same.
Plant + Paddle brought together the community, residents, businesses, and organisations to support a common goal: empowering the next generation, a fundamental core mission of Projekt Renewable; something the destructive incident recently has only further brought to the fore.
I was lost for words after the initial incident, but this act has brought the community together in a way we could have only hoped for.
People may well be quick to say ‘Well, what did you expect’, but if no one tries, nothing will change. We will keep replanting, and keep working to make our pocket of Grimsby something special for the very people who created these planters in the first place. Along with our supporters, the work we are doing is helping to open people’s eyes to the opportunities that now exist in North East Lincolnshire. Young people, particularly, are learning about renewables and just how they can be inspired to get involved and have good future careers in our town.
When people visit, we want them to experience a nice environment, and so decided to involve the community in replanting the flowers – it looked lovely and lots of people have commented on how much they’ve brightened up the area.
We have been inundated with offers of support, and the good people of Grimsby have stepped forward to help us come back even stronger. We will not be moved, we will continue to push the positive. 36 hours after the incident, and we had already had more offers of help, funding, replacement plants and people than we ever thought possible; for DIY SOS, this is PRG SOS!
Projekt Director, Richard Askham
We’re delighted so many young people got involved in the Plant + Paddle initiative over the summer, opening their minds to nature and conservation on both land and sea. Hearing that over 100 children from the local community took part in planting and paddleboarding activities is inspiring, and we’re grateful to Projekt Renewable, Grimsby and their partners for making it such a success.
Projekt Renewable is an important part of The Crown Estate’s commitment to ensure local communities feel connected to the many amazing things happening off their coasts, and by building partnerships, such as ours with PRG, we can support greater understanding of nature recovery and the UK’s exciting energy transition.
Chelsea Bradbury, Senior Marine Data & Insights Manager, The Crown Estate - Plant & Paddle Sponsor
From our point of view, this project has been an outstanding success! We set out to engage a high number of young people and we have done exactly that!
Of course, the recent destruction of the planters was a blow for all of us involved, especially the children who spent time planting them to brighten up a corner of their town. But every member of the delivery team is determined to turn this grey cloud into a rainbow of positivity. The offers of support and contributions to refill the planters and champion the initiative have been overwhelming, once again shining a light on the community spirit in the area, a spirit we are driven to supercharge! If you’re keen to join us we can only encourage you to come along. If you can donate your time, your green fingers, or even some plants - don’t hesitate to get in touch!
The collaboration across the delivery team - our Environmental A-team - has effectively combined hands-on activities with meaningful educational opportunities. I think we can all agree that the vision articulated by Rich back in June has surpassed all expectations here.
Seeing the children push beyond their comfort zones to try new things, form friendships, and emerge from the day with greater self-confidence has made all the hard work worthwhile. And because of that there is no doubt in my mind that the Plant + Paddle project achieved its goal of helping young people connect the dots between interests and hobbies and future opportunities in the renewable energy sector. A huge thank you to all those involved each week - Jo, Toni, Gemma, Hannah, Jim and Sarah - as well as our sponsors at The Crown Estate, you have all made my role very easy!
Joanne Lord, Founder and CEO of Target NEL CIC
Following the incredible turnout on launch day, the next sessions on August 19th, August 27th, and September 2nd were quickly filled, with more children eager to take part. Sponsored by The Crown Estate, Plant + Paddle has not only captivated the local youth but has also succeeded in its mission to connect them with the natural world and the importance of the renewables sector. Through engaging activities, participants explored everything from mini-ecosystems on their doorstep to marine biology and life at the water’s edge. These big topics, which shape the future of our planet, were made accessible and relatable to the children of Grimsby, sparking curiosity and a sense of responsibility for the environment.
The expert team involved has played a pivotal role in ensuring the success of Plant + Paddle, seamlessly bridging the gap between complex environmental issues and the day-to-day lives of the community's younger members. By doing so, they’ve fostered a deeper understanding of conservation and how renewable energy intersects with the health of the planet.
The Plant + Paddle initiative has truly made its mark, creating lasting memories and planting seeds of awareness and stewardship among the next generation.
Additional comments from our delivery team:
What a journey it’s been! The Projekt Renewable and Target NEL Plant + Paddle sessions, proudly sponsored by The Crown Estate, have been an absolute pleasure. Working with the A-team - Toni, Hannah, Sarah, Joanne, and Martin - to bring these incredible activities to life has been quite the experience. From paddleboarding and canoeing to art and planting, we've had an unforgettable time sharing our passion for the environment. While these kids might not all grow up to be professional paddlers, artists, or gardeners, we hope we’ve planted a seed that will grow into a lifelong respect for the environment; it’s such a shame about the recent destruction of the planters but the whole team is determined to use the act as a catalyst for bringing even more good to the area! Whatever their future holds, we trust they’ll always carry with them the desire to care for our planet.
James Elliot, The Canoe River Cleaner
What a pleasure it has been to work with such an enthusiastic team. I think we have created and delivered something to be proud of. The children were such a lovely bunch and as I expected, there were no issues with behaviour because the environment was right for them and no pressure was applied to conform or do what they didn't want to do. I felt with the planting that many of them experienced something new, which they enjoyed and hopefully gave them a taster for the joy of gardening. They understood the value in what they were doing for the environment and they were all proud of what they achieved. It was lovely to see feedback from some parents with photos showing their children getting involved in their own gardens when they got home. There were definitely a couple of the children who showed a real love for what they were doing and asked to take plants home to put in their own planters/garden, which was so encouraging. Coming from a country background myself where children often get an abundance of experience outdoors, I think I underappreciated the need for this kind of experience in the town. It was lovely to see children return for a second visit, where there was no need to show them what to do as they remembered everything and just got on with it.
Hannah Woods, Learning and Engagement Coordinator and founder of Out of the Box
My favourite place to bike in Grimsby town has always been the stretch along the Haven and Alexandra Dock to Corporation Bridge, and now it stands to connect us with the industry of our past and our present, as well as how we reconnect with our watery natural environment as the climate changes. This project enabled the children who took part to look afresh at an area of the town they may well have just walked past before. The art sessions enabled them to create art from natural objects along the shoreline and create prints that will have allowed them to see the everyday natural world around them in a new light
Sarah Louise Palmer, The House with the Blue Door illustrator and host of the art workshops
Projekt Renewable is a not-for-profit company that exists entirely due to grants, donations and sponsorship. We are always actively looking for new sponsors to get involved at Projekt Renewable and help us deliver these life-changing schemes to young people across our region.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how you can sponsor upcoming events this Autumn and Winter, or support The Big Replant, then please get in touch with the Projekt team at info@projektrenewable.com
