Gardening Sunday

On the first and third Sunday of every month, we gather at Todmorden College for our Gardening Sunday sessions. We tend, garden, grow, and nurture our growing areas around the town centre, and then we have a big lunch together back at the college.

Anyone is welcome, regardless of your background, ability, or gardening know-how; we only ask that you leave your lovely dogs at home (unless they’re assistance dogs) and that if you’re under 18 you come along with a parent, guardian, or other responsible adult.

What happens

We gather in the main hall of Community College at about 10am for brews, biscuits (very important!) and catching up with friends. Then, once we’re gathered and ready, there’ll be an announcement about what jobs need doing that day. These can range from weeding and tidying different spaces around town to planting, weeding, digging, lifting, shifting, and all things in between.

We divide into groups and head off to the areas where work needs doing, with each group led by an experienced volunteer who will make sure everyone’s safe, happy and knows what they’re doing. We’re a relaxed bunch and everyone is free to work at their own pace. Tools are all provided too, all we need from you is a willingness to get stuck in however feels comfortable.

A small team of people will also stay behind at the college to get ready for lunch, so if you’re not into gardening or just fancy staying indoors on a given day, there are other ways to lend a hand.

We typically garden until midday, but there’s no pressure to do the full two hours or to stay with one group if you want to try a few different activities. On days where the weather’s against us, we’ll usually have an indoor job or two as well, like potting up seedlings, packaging seeds, or making bird feeders.

At midday we share lunch at our big table. These lunches are always completely plant-based or vegetarian with a vegan option, with a focus on healthy, easy-to-prepare meals using local and seasonal ingredients. You’re welcome to join us for lunch whether you volunteer or not; there’s always plenty to go around. Once we’ve eaten, we’ll wash up, tidy up, and put away the tables and chairs in the hall.

First time joining us or feeling a little unsure?

You can identify our team and our regular volunteers by their green IET Welcome Squad badges. Say hello, and they’ll be happy to introduce you to folks and help you to get involved. You’re also welcome to drop us a line before your first session and we can arrange for someone to meet you.

These sessions run on the first and third Sunday of every month, whatever the weather. Please enter the college using the side door that goes straight into the main hall.

We're working to make our growing areas and activities as accessible as possible. If you have any access needs or feedback on how we can improve our activities, please feel free to get in touch.