Sandbach nature lovers are being invited to take part in a nationwide campaign which kicks off today (Saturday, April 22nd) - 'Plant and Share' month .

Beginning on Earth Day today and concluding on World Bee Day ( Saturday, May 20th) , the free-to-join nationwide campaign run by the Soil Association's Food for Life Get Togethers programme is all set to bring people together this spring.

So far in 2023, over 500 events have already been registered with thousands of downloads of bespoke resources.

This Earth Day residents are being encouraged to invest in our planet, including spending time outside, whether that's composting, going pesticide free or growing an organic garden - do all three, and more, as part of 'Plant and Share Month'.  

Running for the third year, it's free to register and includes access to a vast selection of free resources, toolkits and event planning tips, including how to identify our precious pollinators and organise a community event.

Anna Wade, communications and marketing manager at Food for Life Get Togethers said: "We're looking forward to another year of getting the nation growing and giving back to nature this Plant and Share Month.

"Whether it's learning how to identify pollinators in the garden or keeping the veg you grow naturally free from bugs, there's so many ways for people to get involved and grow some good for our earth, our communities and ourselves."

This year for additional inspiration, Plant and Share month will have themed weeks to inspire everyone with the sheer variety of reasons it's good to grow. The themes are: Growing for All, Growing to Eat, Growing for Joy and Growing for Nature.

Growing for All week, which begins today(Saturday) will be a celebration of everyone who can grow, whether they're beginners or experts, older or younger.

Taking place at the same time as Global Intergenerational Week, the first week of this year's Plant and Share Month also includes the return of Grandparent Gardening Week (24th – 28th April), a Soil Association Food for Life initiative which invites grandparents to share their gardening knowledge and skills with the younger generation.

Anyone can take part by starting an event either with friends, family or within their local community and registering it on our website for free, or by joining an existing event in their local area.

Reach out to local community groups to see if there's an event happening nearby, or to help arrange one with them.