Educational Wealth Fund

Kayon in one of the volunteers at the kitchen garden, at Sir Herbert Leon Academy - and she has kindly shared some words about what it means to her and her son to be involved in the care of the garden.....

“I grew up in a rural village in Jamaica, and ever since moving to the UK at eighteen, I have been searching for a place that offers a real sense of community, camaraderie, and unity. By chance, one morning, while passing the Kitchen Garden with my ten-year-old son, we were invited to take a look around. Months later, my son and I have become regular Saturday volunteers at the garden.

We both love the work, the people, and the friendly, non-judgemental attitude. Of course, we also get to take home some of the produce which we are cooking and eating at home. There is something truly special about eating fresh, organic food that I helped to grow. Watching my son Leonardo eat fresh picked tomatoes, which he always said he hated, was surprising as it was wonderful!

I cannot sing enough praises for the Kitchen Garden. It came into my life at exactly the right time, providing something that helps me stay fit while also supporting my mental wellbeing. It has given me not only a place to grow food, but also a place where my son and I feel welcomed, valued, and part of a community.”

Children Need Nature. The Evidence Is Clear.

We often hear that children should "get outside more". This isn't nostalgic thinking, it's backed by science.

A growing body of peer-reviewed research shows that regular time in nature supports children's learning, mental health, physical development and emotional wellbeing.

Nature isn't simply somewhere children play.

A recent meta-analysis of 56 studies from across the world found that children who spend time in natural environments demonstrate measurable improvements in attention, working memory and executive function - the vital cognitive skills underpinning learning, problem solving and self regulation.
The greatest benefits were seen when children experienced nature regularly (Nguyen & Walters, 2024).

Research consistently shows that outdoor learning environments reduce stress, improve mood, strengthen resilience and increase engagement with learning (Stevenson et al., 2019).

Nature is so important to our brains and our bodies, and we aim to support and promote this link in whatever we do.

Since early 2026 the EWF have been working on a project at Sir Herbert Leon Academy in Bletchley, designing and building a kitchen garden - which is now in full swing with many volunteers giving their valuable time and energy to growing and harvesting crops.

If you might interested in volunteering please drop us a line and we can help make that happen - we will post updates of this fantastic project alongside those we have in the pipeline.

Schools should be the most inspiring of all human places. The Educational Wealth Fund aims to forever make this so. Imagine our schools with life-sized dinosaur skeletons, art galleries, planetariums, world class art and sculpture, full-scale working kitchen gardens and more.
The EWF aims to help our nation, our children and their teachers to love learning.

Follow along to see what we are doing and where we are going!

Volunteers and gardeners needed….

Come and get some gentle exercise in the morning sunshine ☀️, meet new people and join the Kitchen Gardeners this Saturday at 10.30am and help plant cucumbers, courgettes and giant pumpkins 🎃

Please meet at the Sir Herbert Leon Kitchen Garden, off Fern Grove at 10.30am

No experience necessary, tools - and possibly the best cake you’ll ever taste provided…..