The story so far

Promoting Inclusivity:

PLANT has brought together 100’s of people from all walks of life, including community gardeners, urbanists, designers, researchers and artists from the ages of 3 to 80 years old! Together, we’re proving that green spaces thrive best when shaped by and for the people who live and work around them.

Cultivating long-term partnerships:

We are proud that our work with PLANT has helped develop long-term partnerships that help to deliver measurable social impact across the city. In 2024, we became RHS Grow With It Champions, delivering a year-long ‘City of Sunflowers’ campaign at NOMA. We have also partnered with the National Trust on projects such as the Manchester Blossom Trail and the Sky Gardening Challenge. NOMA also hosts monthly workshops with local schools, The Kings Trust, Manchester Metropolitan University and many more.

Measurable impact:

PLANT has created a pioneering approach to urban landscaping which moves away from low maintenance and uniformity, to nurture and variety, increasing Biodiversity by 54% in just 2 years. Other ESG outputs are measured using three pillars – ‘Shared Futures, Local Connections, Liveable City’, via the Social Value Portal.

Growing Skills, Growing Community:

Our collaboration with PLANT is about more than just having a beautiful garden – it’s a platform for connection, creativity, and community.

The PLANT team runs a full programme of community engagement here at NOMA, including: Gardening volunteering programmes, Apprenticeship and training schemes, Evening gardening clubs, Seasonal gardening events and much, much more…