Page 13 - Caring_for_your_community

Case Study
GROWING ALONG WITH THE BOTANIC GARDEN, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD BOTANIC GARDEN, UK
Description: Begun in 2014, this ongoing training programme
was developed and run in collaboration with Oxford Chair
County Council, Skills and Learning. The target audience is
adults with learning disabilities, who participate in a 10-week
accredited course, catering for around ten participants a year.
The aim is to help them develop practical horticultural skills.
Having been involved in similar programmes in the past, the
garden was keen to progress to the next stage by providing
people with learning disabilities the opportunity to develop
concrete, measurable and transferable skills. During the course,
participants are supported to develop their own vegetable plot
as well as being given other tasks to illustrate the work of a
botanic garden, such as producing their own mini herbaria.
Focus of the programme: This programme is in alignment
with the University of Oxford strategic plan, particularly its
emphasis on making links with the local community and has
been used to inform the development of the garden’s Learning
Strategy. Its social impacts include encouraging a healthy
lifestyle by teaching participants about nutrition and growing
food, providing skills that can lead to increased independence
and employment, at the same time breaking down barriers to
visiting the garden and providing a connection to nature.
Engagement approach: The approach used in this programme
was defined by the formal requirements of an accredited
course, including the development of specific horticultural skills exam board ASDAN (Award
such as identifying different species of flowers and growing a
variety of vegetables. However, participants were able to choose
which plants they wanted to grow. By working closely with a
tutor from Oxford Chair County Council, Skills and Learning,
an expert in education for adults with learning difficulties with
whom the garden had already established a relationship, the
programme planners ensured that activities met participants’
needs. Recruitment took place through phone interviews and
consultation with prospective candidates and their carers.
Audience research:
Skills gained by the programme
participants are recorded in a
portfolio of evidence (PoE).
This includes using photographs
to document activities undertaken,
together with worksheets and
forms to record individual
understanding of key concepts,
e.g. meeting health and safety
criteria. The PoE is compiled by
the participants themselves
and is assessed by the
Scheme Development and
Accreditation Network).
Provided an individual’s PoE meets Weeding the vegetable
the criteria of the course modules,
©a certificate is awarded. Apart from plot as part of the
Growing Along with the
the PoE’s documentation of the skills Botanic Garden course
gained by participants there is no Emma Williams
systematic evaluation to establish other
impacts on them, although anecdotal
evidence, e.g. based on observation
and discussions, was used to tweak and adapt the programme.
Staff responsible for running the programme also had informal
debriefing meetings with other garden staff to ensure the garden
is fully accessible to people with learning difficulties.
Funding: Oxford Chair County Council, Skills and Learning
Department funded most of the programme, while the Oxford
BG and its Friends Organisation covered local costs (such as
buying tools and seeds). The Council continues to support the
programme, covering mainly the cost of the tutor.
Challenges: Navigating the accreditation process was the main
challenge for garden staff but they relied on the experience and
support of their partner. Another issue was prioritizing the type
and number of programmes they could run in parallel as this
particular programme demanded a large investment of time
and effort.
Creating herbarium specimens engages
course participants with the work of
©The University Oxford Botanic Garden
Emma Williams
CARING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY | A MANUAL FOR BOTANIC GARDENS 11