The Ministry of Health celebrated the tenth year of a gardening programme aimed at bolstering food security and health on the island.

The Grow Eat Save Programme, launched in early 2017, is intended to offer participants practical skills to help to grow fresh produce at home, supporting food cost relief, strengthening local food security and empowering residents to take steps that improve their health.

Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, and Alexa Lightbourne, the Minister of Home Affairs, congratulated 45 participants involved in the programme at a ceremony held at the Devonshire Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Ms Wilson said: “Ten years is a testament to the strength of a programme built on partnership and shared purpose.

“This programme has grown because so many organisations and individuals chose to work side by side.”

Ms Wilson added that this year the Ministry of Home Affairs joined the initiative to help establish a teaching garden at the Devonshire Recreation Club.

Ms Lightbourne thanked Devonshire Rec for the collaboration, which will help give more residents the opportunity to develop skills that will continue to benefit them.

She said: “Grow Eat Save advances affordability and resilience by equipping residents with the skills to grow their own food.

“Households across Bermuda continue to face rising food costs. This programme delivers practical knowledge that eases household pressure and builds community self-sufficiency.”

• For more information about the Grow Eat Save Programme, contact the Department of Health’s Nutrition Services at nutrition@gov.bm.