Green Arena
Gardening Club
Where children connect with nature, discover where food comes from, and learn to nurture life from seed to harvest.
See What's On
Every week something special happens at the Green Arena. Children step away from screens and into a space where they can dig, discover, and grow. This is not just about the plants, but also about their confidence, curiosity, and connection to the natural world.
Mama Sila shares her deep knowledge of growing and nurturing with our young people, teaching them more than just learning to plant seeds. It's about understanding where food comes from, how seasons shape what we eat, and how nature recycles everything. It's about getting hands dirty, spotting insects with magnifying glasses, and tasting vegetables you've grown yourself.
This isn't just a gardening club. It's STEAM learning in action (science, technology, engineering, art, and maths), all rooted in the soil.
From Dumping Ground to Growing Ground
The Green Arena Community Garden on King's Road didn't always look like this. It was once a neglected, overgrown space where people dumped rubbish. Through the vision and determination of our community, and with support from local organisations including Asda, we transformed this forgotten corner into something alive.
Now it's not just a garden. It's a community space with raised beds full of vegetables, an outdoor performance stage, and a place where children learn that change is possible when people work together.
The Green Arena is living proof of what we teach: with care, patience, and the right conditions, anything can grow.
A Journey Through the Growing Season
Our gardening club follows a thoughtful four-week cycle, with each session building on the last. Children can join at any point and will quickly find their place in the rhythm of the garden.
Session 1: Discovery
We start with questions: What do you know about gardening? What can you see growing here? Armed with magnifying glasses, children explore the planters, learning to spot the difference between weeds and crops, discovering insects, and naming plants. Mama Sila shares a fun gardening fact that will make them see the garden differently. This is about observation (really looking, really seeing) and understanding that a garden is a whole ecosystem.
Session 2: Tending
Now we get to work. In small groups, children weed the planters, learning what helps plants thrive and what holds them back. They dig, they discover, they share what they've found. Kele shares stories from his own experience, like the days he sold corn, connecting what we grow to real life and real work. This is where children learn that caring for something takes effort, but it's effort that matters.
Session 3: Understanding Cycles
We introduce composting, nature's own recycling system. Children sort real items (banana peels, crisp packets, apple cores) into what can return to the soil and what can't. It's a revelation: instead of everything being "rubbish," some things can become food for new plants. We also explore the herb garden with our eyes closed, learning herbs by scent and discovering how they're used in cooking.
Session 4: Harvesting
The most exciting session. What can we find? Potatoes? Tomatoes? Strawberries? With bowls in hand, children harvest what's ready, examining plants and soil with magnifying glasses to see what else is living there. Then we prepare the ground for the next crop, learning about seasonal cycles and planning ahead. Some of what's harvested goes home. Some we share together. All of it tastes better because they grew it themselves.
Meet Your Guide
Mama Sila Kanyua
Head of Gardening Project & Wellbeing
Progress Network CIC
Mama Sila leads the Gardening and Wellbeing Project at Progress Network, nurturing growth both in the garden and in the community. An award-winning playwright, librettist, lecturer, and researcher, she brings creativity and compassion to everything she does. A registered nurse and assistant teacher of Vipassana meditation, Mama Sila is dedicated to cultivating wellbeing, mindfulness, and connection.
Growing More Than Vegetables
At Green Arena, learning happens naturally through hands-on discovery and real-world experience.
Hands-On Science
Plant life cycles and what plants need to thrive • Ecosystems and the insects that help gardens grow • Composting and how nature recycles • Seasonal rhythms and planning ahead
Practical Life Skills
Where food actually comes from • How to grow food themselves • Patience and the rewards of consistent care • Working with tools safely and confidently
Environmental Awareness
Reducing waste through composting • Understanding our connection to nature • Taking responsibility for living things • Seeing transformation (from dumping ground to garden, from seed to food)
Social & Emotional Development
Working in teams on shared tasks • Taking pride in something they've nurtured • Problem-solving in the garden • Connection to something bigger than screens and schedules
Who Is This For?
Perfect for children who:
- Want to understand where their food comes from
- Need more time outdoors and in nature
- Love asking questions and making discoveries
- Enjoy hands-on, sensory learning
- Want to be part of growing something real
You don't need:
- Any gardening experience
- Your own garden at home
- Special equipment
- To commit to all four weeks
Just bring curiosity, willingness to get a bit muddy, and a desire to see what grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my child join mid-cycle?
Yes! While the sessions follow a four-week structure, children can join any week. We'll help them catch up on what they've missed.
What if my child has never gardened before?
Perfect! Most children haven't. That's exactly who this is for.
What happens to the vegetables?
Some go home with the children, some we share together as snacks, and some go to families in need. Children learn that abundance is meant to be shared.
Is it accessible for children with additional needs?
The garden space is accessible, and we work with each child's needs. Contact us to discuss how we can support your child.
Can parents stay?
Of course!
Do you run year-round?
We follow the growing seasons. Check our What's On page for the current schedule.
"My daughter used to say she hated vegetables. Now she grows them and can't wait to eat what she's harvested. Gardening club has changed how our whole family thinks about food."
Parent
St Leonards
Every young person in St Leonards deserves the chance to thrive.
Help us make it happen.