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London rooftops creating gardens in the sky

28/10/2008

"The Global Generation project is an excellent example of how people-powered social innovation can make a difference to the big issues of today."

A group of young people in London will be busy gardening in the clouds on Tuesday 28^th October to mark the official start of the Global Generation team's Big Green Challenge.

Global Generations is one of 10 finalists in the UK-wide Big Green Challenge - an initiative of the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA) to find better and new ways to tackle climate change.

The group have secured a £20,000 grant to pilot their project which involves creating "living roofs", which are rooftop allotments and gardens producing an array of seasonal herbs and vegetables for local consumption.

The Chair of London Food, Rosie Boycott, who will be joining Global Generations' roof-top garden gang said, ""This project is a fabulous example of how Londoners can access locally produced, top quality food that not only improves our health but also helps to reduce carbon emissions which cause climate change."

As the owner of a small organic farm, Rosie Boycott was recently appointed as Chair of London Food by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson in a bid to help improve Londoner's access to health, locally produced and affordable food.

After 12 months of the creating, maintaining and living off the "living roofs", NESTA's Big Green Challenge judges will decide on the overall winner - or winners - with the prize money going to those projects that can prove their ideas will have an impact on their carbon footprint.

Jane Riddiford, the Executive Director of Global Generation said, "As part of the project we will hold workshops for young people where they will come face to face with nature and learn about themselves and how to live a greener, more eco-friendly life."

NESTA CEO Jonathan Kestenbaum said, "The Big Green Challenge was launched to encourage communities to come together to generate new ideas on how to save the planet. Too often people only associate innovation with technology. The Global Generation project is an excellent example of how people-powered social innovation can make a difference to the big issues of today."

Contact:

NESTA Press Office: Jo Oakes on Tel: 0207 438 2609, email Jo.Oakes@nesta.org.uk, or Catherine Anderson on Tel: 020 7438 2609, email Catherine.Anderson@nesta.org.uk

Notes to editors

NESTA
NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts. Our mission is to transform the UK's capacity for innovation. We do this in three main ways: by working to build a more pervasive culture of innovation in this country; by providing innovators with access to early stage capital; and by driving forward research into innovation, with a view to influencing policy. www.nesta.org.uk

The Big Green Challenge
Launched in October 2007, the Big Green Challenge is a £1 million prize fund to encourage and reward people working together to find new and better ways to tackle climate change. NESTA is challenging not-for-profit groups and organisations to develop and implement approaches to achieve significant reduction of C02 emissions in their communities.

Through the Big Green Challenge, we aim to reveal, and better understand, the potential power of new forms of community-led action on climate change - and improve the infrastructure (support, finance, organisational structure and policy) needed to maximise the potential of these innovations.

Global Generation - Kentish Town, London
A small Camden based charity who would like to further develop their practical programmes, using young people as climate change champions. Their wide range of techniques for CO2 reduction includes the innovative green rooftops in urban spaces programme.
www.globalgeneration.org.uk