Global Generation

Global Generation is a charity based in North London with a mission to support the personal development of young people from diverse backgrounds by engaging them in environmental issues and activities.

Getting involved in the Big Green Challenge encouraged Global Generation (GG) to take itself more seriously and reflect on its approach and methodology. The group was able to develop and test its ‘I, We, Planet’ philosophy further and consolidate its work around their new hub in the King’s Cross development site. The organisation benefitted from a significant grant from the Big Lottery Local Food Fund which enabled the core staff team to grow. Paid staff now comprise a full-time Executive Director along with a Finance Director, Gardens Manager, Production Gardener and Project Manager all working part time. On top of this, volunteers remain central to project delivery with some of the Senior Generators being paid on an occasional basis to facilitate workshops. Global Generation’s Big Green Challenge advisor also became the latest addition to the board of trustees.

The Big Lottery grant still underpins the work, though new income has come from holding workshops and seminars for local businesses around the group’s philosophy: Reflective values based learning (I), Community Building (We) and Urban Agriculture (Planet). GG have begun to command more significant commissions for their work over the last year and intend to shift the balance further away from grant funding by the time the current Big Lottery funding ends in 2013.

As well as this GG continue to pursue links and contact with other organisations. Though not all of these develop into partnerships, many of the links forged in the BGC year remain crucial to GG, and they are able to draw support and resources from their business partners, such as hands-on delivery of projects on a pro bono basis (e.g. from partners such as Guardian News and Media, Argent, Wolff Olins, Herbert Smith and BAM), and free office and food growing space from King’s Cross Central (developers of the King’s Cross Development site). King’s Cross Central have allowed GG to develop another growing space at the King’s Cross Development site – The ‘Hoop’ Garden – since the BGC year. For some businesses it is a learning and development opportunity for their staff, while others benefit in terms of CSR and PR.

The group’s core work though remains the personal development of young people and they have continued to engage children and young people from local schools at the established growing sites, on the youth leadership (“Generator”) programme and through delivering a BTEC (Level 1) qualification to nine students at South Camden Community School.

Having spent the last year consolidating many of the lessons from the BGC year, GG are now looking at running Generator programmes in neighbouring areas, and potentially running a ‘Green Enterprise Academy’ – co-delivered by their business partners – to teach students about horticulture and environment alongside business skills and knowledge.