Veg Power celebrates a milestone as its ‘Growing to Love’ scheme educates and inspires 100,000 primary school children across the UK, promoting vegetable eating and sustainable gardening through engaging, curriculum-aligned activities.
Veg Power says its “Growing to Love” programme has now reached 100,000 primary school children across the UK over the past four years, with this year’s rollout involving 25,000 pupils in 387 schools. The charity said its 2026 evaluation found the project to be fun, straightforward to run and aligned with the curriculum, while also helping children become more open to eating vegetables.
The scheme centres on children growing tomato plants themselves, then taking them home to care for them over the school holidays before harvesting the results. Veg Power says the hands-on format is intended to build both confidence and curiosity around food, while also giving teachers a practical way to link gardening with lessons on the food chain and sustainability. The campaign has been supported by TV and radio presenter Sam Nixon, former Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins and Shaun the Sheep through Veg Power’s work with Aardman Animation.
Among the schools that took part in the latest evaluation, all said they would like to repeat the experience in 2027. Veg Power also reported that every teacher surveyed said pupils enjoyed the programme, 98% said it was easy to deliver and 90% said it helped them cover curriculum content. The charity said 77% of teachers also reported that pupils were more willing to eat tomatoes after taking part.
Dan Parker, Veg Power’s chief executive, said the results showed the value of a simple, practical project that teachers can fit into a busy school term. He said the charity was pleased that the programme had reached 100,000 children and credited growers, retailers and Shaun the Sheep for helping to make it happen. Veg Power said “Growing to Love” will return to primary schools in April 2027, with registration opening in January.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
