Grow your own.
Learn for yourself.
We teach people to grow their own food using organic and traditional methods — through hands-on workshops in permaculture, horticulture, and sustainable living. Open to all, regardless of age or ability.
Essential growing skills are disappearing.
Growing food. Understanding the soil. Living in harmony with the seasons. These skills were once passed down through generations — but today, they're fading. Communities across the West Midlands face rising food poverty, diet-related ill health, and growing disconnection from the land.
Back to Basics CIO was founded to address this. We provide spaces and workshops with qualified tutors in permaculture and horticulture, so people can learn to grow their own food — organically, sustainably, and with their own hands. Open to all, regardless of age, disability, or circumstance.
Hands-on workshops that grow skills for life.
Every workshop is led by qualified tutors, open to all ages and abilities, and designed so you leave with skills you can use immediately.
Permaculture Workshops
Design with nature, not against it.
Learn the principles of permaculture — working with natural ecosystems to create self-sustaining food gardens. From companion planting to water harvesting, our qualified tutors guide you through techniques that work with the land.
- Design a productive garden using permaculture principles
- Companion planting and natural pest management
- Water harvesting and soil health techniques
Organic Growing
From seed to plate. No chemicals.
Hands-on workshops teaching you to grow your own produce using traditional organic methods. Seed banking, natural plant feed, crop rotation — everything you need to feed yourself and your family from the earth.
- Grow vegetables, herbs, and fruit organically
- Make natural plant feed and compost
- Seed banking and saving for future seasons
Sustainable Living
Small changes. Massive difference.
Practical workshops on reducing waste, living more sustainably, and understanding our relationship with the planet. Aligned with UN sustainability goals, these sessions empower communities to protect the earth for future generations.
- Everyday habits that cut waste and save money
- Understanding food systems and their impact
- Building community resilience and self-sufficiency
We also run
Measurable outcomes, transparent reporting.
We track our impact rigorously because the communities we serve deserve accountability — and so do our funders.
Skills acquisition
Participants leave each workshop with demonstrable, practical skills in organic growing, permaculture design, or sustainable living that they can apply immediately at home.
Measured via pre/post assessments
Community food resilience
We increase local food production capacity by teaching families and individuals to grow their own produce, reducing reliance on processed and imported food.
Tracked through participant follow-ups
Social connection & wellbeing
Our communal growing spaces and group workshops reduce isolation and improve mental wellbeing — particularly for older adults, carers, and those with disabilities.
Self-reported wellbeing surveys
Why this work is urgent.
Communities across Sandwell and the wider West Midlands face some of the highest levels of food poverty, diet-related ill health, and social isolation in England. Essential growing skills that were once passed between generations have been lost, leaving families dependent on processed, imported food.
Our workshops directly address this by equipping people with the knowledge and confidence to grow their own food — organically, affordably, and sustainably.
Our charitable objects
“Demonstrating to the public, irrespective of age or disabilities, how to grow their own produce using organic and traditional methods. Providing a space and workshops with qualified tutors in permaculture and horticulture, in order to learn for themselves.”
— Charity Commission for England and Wales, Registration 1176426
Help us teach more people to grow their own food.
Your support funds workshops, growing spaces, and educational programmes that give people the skills to feed themselves and their families — sustainably and organically.
Workshops & tutors
Qualified permaculture and horticulture tutors delivering hands-on sessions for all ages and abilities.
Growing spaces
Securing and maintaining communal land where communities can learn to grow food together.
Educational materials
Seeds, tools, compost, and learning resources so every participant can continue growing at home.
Regular giving helps us plan workshops and secure growing spaces with confidence.
Get in touch to donate