The first Growing Diversity for Hull project, launched by BAMEEN (Black and Minority Ethnic Environment Network) in 2014, got off to a vibrant and promising start on April 28th with a well-attended event at Spring Bank Community Centre. Over 40 individuals from a wide range of Black and minority ethnic communities gathered to learn about the aims of the project and explore how they could get involved.
Dawda Jatta, representing BAMEEN, welcomed attendees and introduced the project’s vision: empowering minority communities in Hull through food growing. He highlighted the health, social, and economic benefits of growing food locally—especially culturally relevant crops—and the potential to build stronger community ties. Acknowledging the environmental limitations of what can be grown in the UK, he nonetheless emphasised that a surprising number of cultural foods could be cultivated successfully. He also pointed to the long-term goal of developing community-led enterprises as part of the project.
Guest speaker John Smith, Co-Founder of Urbanag, shared insights from his work with urban agricultural initiatives. He spoke about the importance of growing “cultural foods”—those not typically grown in the UK but valued by minority communities—and noted that many successful food-growing projects had started with grant support before becoming sustainable social enterprises. He offered Urbanag’s support to help BAMEEN develop the initiative further.
A lively Q&A session followed, covering practical aspects such as growing techniques and innovative approaches like aquaponics. The event concluded with a shared traditional meal of rice and peanut sauce, allowing for informal discussions and networking.
Dawda closed the meeting with a strong commitment to future engagement and collaboration. The next stage of the project was outlined: Part 1—beginning food cultivation at two identified sites, and Part 2—working directly with community groups to understand their specific needs and aspirations