About the programme
Through gardening Riana Development Network (RDN) reaches communities by supporting initiatives like Local Inter-generational Communities’ Allotments and Schools Biodiversity Programmes. Local communities and schools’ gardening and environment activities strengthen connections and encourage the entire community to work together as people of all ages and from different backgrounds.
Gardening improves physical and mental well-being; for the children it builds life skills such as confidence, resilience, teamwork and communication. It enhances literacy, numeracy and oral skills enriching the entire curriculum from science, maths and geography – to art, design and languages while facilitating young people to engage with their surroundings better and develop a sense of responsibility.
As a regular activity, gardening promotes a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating (fruit and vegetables) and physical activity (watering, weeding, pruning etc) with no age boundaries. In schools, gardening enhances and enriches the curriculum as an outdoor classroom. It also provides a platform for encouraging older people from the community to become involved in the life of their local school via the inter-generational gardening activities.
RDN supports Local Inter-generational Communities’ Allotments because they have proved effective in breaking down the barriers between age groups through a shared activity that is enjoyable and life-enhancing thus resulting into local community cohesion and pride.
Inter-generational gardening promotes mutual respect, responsibility and enhances general understanding between the generations as they share valued safe space.
In local schools, RDN encourages biodiversity by supporting nature reserve areas through a wide range of innovations. School grounds and local outdoor spaces hold a multitude of wildlife therefore children play and learn there. The world is changing, and by engaging with biodiversity, schools can improve their own performance, while equipping pupils with the skills, understanding, and confidence to adapt to these changes as future guardians of environment.
Our schools’ biodiversity projects offer direct benefits to the environment as well as influencing young people’s interests and attitudes. Studies show that regular direct access to nature increases self-esteem and resilience against stress and adversity. The natural environment also enhances concentration, learning, creativity, cognitive development, cooperation, flexibility and self-awareness while mitigating childhood obesity.
Being environmentally conscious while learning outdoor improves children’s health and well-being. In some areas, the head teachers have opened up the school biodiversity activities to members of the community. As a result the biodiversity projects have provided an important focus for schools, families and the local community.
If you share our vision, do join us by volunteering or donating to this campaign in our local communities.
