Homeland, Our Largest Donation Yet - And Our First Environmental Project!
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
At the Banner Foundation, we’re passionate about creating opportunities for children and young people to thrive — and this month, we’re incredibly proud to share details of our largest donation to date: £3,345 to The Homeland Project CIC.
Not only is this our biggest grant so far, but it’s also our first dedicated environmental project — combining wellbeing, creativity, community, and nature in a truly inspiring way.
Unlike some of our previous projects, the impact of this one won’t stop after a few weeks or months. The spaces being created through this funding will continue supporting young people for years to come, meaning the number of children and young people who will benefit is potentially endless. 💚
About The Homeland Project
The Homeland Project CIC is a community organisation based in North Somerset that supports wellbeing through creative and nature-based activities. Their work focuses on helping young people facing emotional, social, and educational challenges reconnect with themselves, their community, and the natural world around them.
Through their programme creativeRoots, they work with young people aged 11–15 who are experiencing barriers to education, including anxiety, isolation, neurodivergence, and emotionally based school avoidance.
Using nature, creativity, music, art, and outdoor learning, they create safe, therapeutic spaces where young people can build confidence, friendships, and a sense of belonging.
What Our Funding Will Support
Our funding will help create a beautiful and accessible outdoor learning environment where young people can connect with nature in meaningful, hands-on ways.
The project includes:
Accessible raised growing beds
A restored wildlife pond area
Native tree planting
Outdoor wellbeing and creative learning spaces
Opportunities for young people to grow, harvest, and learn about sustainable food
The accessible raised beds will allow all young people — regardless of ability — to take part in planting and growing activities, learning where food comes from while building confidence and practical life skills.
The space will also include calming herbs such as lavender and chamomile, encouraging sensory exploration, relaxation, and conversations around wellbeing and self-care.
Why This Matters
This project is about so much more than gardening.
It’s about helping young people:
Feel connected to nature
Improve their mental wellbeing
Build confidence and independence
Learn sustainable life skills
Reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation
Feel pride and ownership in their community
Participants will have the opportunity to plant, nurture, and harvest food, while learning about biodiversity, sustainability, and the environmental impact of the choices we make every day.
The restored pond and surrounding natural habitat will also become a peaceful sanctuary for both wildlife and young people alike — a place for reflection, creativity, and connection.
A Lasting Legacy
What makes this project especially exciting is the long-term impact it will have.
The trees planted, habitats restored, and growing spaces created through this funding will continue benefiting future generations of young people long into the future. Every cohort who visits the site will leave their own mark while continuing to care for and enjoy the environment created before them.
This is exactly the kind of sustainable, community-led impact we love to support at Banner Foundation.
A Word from The Homeland Project
“Sam and I have been bursting with joy this evening, and we are so excited to be able to fix the pond, plant trees, and offer our participants and volunteers the incredible opportunities that this grant will afford them and us all. We really are so grateful. Thank you.”
