Another Year of Learning and Growth: Youth Training Programmes and School Workshops in 2025

September 2025 Youth Training Programme Cohort

The end of 2025 saw the graduation of the fourth and final cohort of Youth Trainees, with nine young Londoners aged 18–24 successfully completing the programme. Young people benefited from learning from the expertise of our Energy Garden team, who deepened their understanding of a range of topics including horticulture, biodiversity, energy systems, and community engagement.

Young people gained new skills through practical, collaborative workshops such as solar panel making, and developed their confidence and ability to speak in public. In the words of one trainee:

‘Participation in Energy Garden’s Youth Training Programme has helped improve both my skills and my confidence in a big way. Throughout the programme, I learned practical skills such as gardening techniques, teamwork, project planning, and communication when working with volunteers and staff. These hands-on tasks taught me how to take responsibility, solve problems, and stay organised.’

We look forward to welcoming a new cohort at the end of January, who will also benefit from the addition of an exciting new module on urban treescapes.

Scouts Group Visit to Honor Oak Park

Last November, our South East London gardens received a much-needed spurt of energy from the local Crofton Park Scouts group who visited Honor Oak Park to plant bulbs and install some handmade birdboxes. Through these activities the children got hands-on experience in the garden, got to try out some new tools and learnt about the work Energy Garden does in their local community. We look forward to building upon the success of these sessions and developing this relationship further in 2026.

2025 School Workshops

The end of the year also saw us complete 71 school workshops across London, including both indoor classroom sessions and outdoor horticulture activities. Teacher feedback noted that:

‘The practical activities and hands-on learning were beneficial. For most of these children, this was their first time holding or reading a map, or using a solar panel system.’

They also shared that:

‘The children don’t all have gardens, so this was a new experience.’

Energy Garden continues to prioritise schools in areas of high deprivation, supporting children’s access to broader learning experiences that include practical education, gardening, food growing, and community engagement — both within schools and across our gardens.

At our final end-of-year workshops, a school representative noted that the two days of learning:

‘Created a real buzz amongst staff and pupils. They were really inspired and learnt a lot.’

Children’s feedback included:

Aazan:

‘I was impressed by how the map of London was huge and how the River Thames started small and became larger. I liked the science experiments because we explored power.’

Sunny:

‘It made me think about how much energy we use every day. I want to learn more about renewable energy now.’

We are delighted to continue delivering workshops as we move into 2026, and would welcome London schools getting in touch if they are interested.