Richard Hillery has worked for me for about three years on my large garden and woodland.
In that time he has shown himself to be more than just a diligent, thoughtful, and reliable worker, he also has talent and creativity. If someone should choose to invest in those qualities, I am sure they will be pleasantly surprised.

Damon Hill OBE

Mill Hill School, Ripley, Derbyshire, wishes to promote an understanding and love of gardening. We are very pleased with our raised beds and fruit garden installed by Back Garden Farm. Their expertise enabled us to involve the students quickly this academic year in our Eco Schools projects. Students are working with School Staff, Trish Dolan and Tony McIlroy to grow a wider range of fruits and vegetables - this produce will then go to the School Kitchen for ingredients in school meals. We are developing students' knowledge of where fruit and vegetables come from; we are developing the skills in being able to tend effectively to small plants and developing their understanding that working the land can have many beneficial effects on students' self esteem, self worth and confidence. The mentoring provided by school staff involved in the project has already re-engaged reluctant learners back into school. As part of our 'Healthy Schools project' we are aiming to increase student meal take-up - developing an understanding of where the food comes from is part of this project. Ann said " I really enjoy being outside, watering the new plants". Peter comments "We need to take turns looking after beds - it's a great thing to do at lunchtime". "We all want to help! We squabble a bit - but we look forward to coming to Eco-Club everyday" - Darren said. Mrs Graham (Headteacher) said "We are delighted with the impact the new garden has had already - the students' fundraising on non-uniform days has really built something they are very proud of".

Mill Hill School, Ripley, Derbyshire

"Working with Back Garden Farm is a superb opportunity for our students," commented Jules White, Head Teacher at Tanbridge House School. He continued "We strive to build strong links with external businesses in the community to ensure continuity and breadth of experience in a co-educational environment. Having a new organic vegetable bed on our allotment allows the students to discover a new side of biology from a fun and exciting angle. The students are all extremely excited about watching their hard work grow and being able to finally eat the fruits of their labour."

Tanbridge House School