A new allotment garden in The Regent's Park opens today. Aimed at training people with an interest in food-growing projects and allotment gardening, it is the first facility of its kind in a Royal Park.

Managed by The Royal Parks, the Allotment Garden will host training courses provided by Capital Growth and Capel Manor College. The site will also open to the public during a series of free summer events including 'ask the experts' sessions and food growing classes for children.

Capel Manor College will conduct courses in allotment gardening; while an urban growing training programme, run by Capital Growth, will include sessions on soil management and seed saving.

Capital Growth was launched by Rosie Boycott, the Chair of London Food and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson in November 2008. It has the aim to create 2,012 community food growing spaces across the capital by 2012.

Boosting the amount of locally grown food in London has a range of health, social and environmental benefits, such as improving access to nutritious, low cost food in urban areas, beautifying the community, reducing food miles and cutting carbon emissions. There is rising interest in self-grown food and inner London boroughs have waiting lists for allotments that can be decades long.

Mark Camley, Chief Executive, The Royal Parks said: "The new Allotment Garden in The Regent's Park is the first training allotment of its kind to open to the public in a Royal Park. It is an excellent partnership project between The Royal Parks, Capel Manor College and Capital Growth and I hope that many visitors will be inspired to grow their own or to participate in one of the courses."

Rosie Boycott, Chair of London Food, said: "Many people want to start growing food but are a bit unsure about how to get started. Capital Growth always set out to provide not only the land, but also practical help to enable Londoners to kick start their own fruit and veg gardens. This is why our new Regent's Park training plot is such great news and what better location than this to inspire green-fingered passions."

Nick Evans, Director of Estates and Buildings, Capel Manor College said: "Capel Manor College, Greater London's only land based college, is extremely pleased to be associated with this new development in partnership with The Royal Parks and Capital Growth. The College supports the Mayor's initiative and is well placed, with centres throughout London, to encourage and help local communities and individuals to grow their own fresh produce. This new initiative should inspire many Londoners to find an allotment or spare land on which to grow fresh produce for all the family to enjoy."

Media enquiries:

For further information or images please contact: Katy Murray on 0300 061 2128 or 07970 660 132 or email kmurray@royalparks.gsi.gov.uk

Notes to Editors

Location: The Allotment Garden in The Regent's Park is located next to the Park Office (NW1 4NR), on the corner of Chester Road and the Inner Circle. For a map of the park please visit: http://www.royalparks.org.uk/docs/park_maps/RegentsPark_English_Map.pdf

About The Allotment Garden in The Regent's Park: The Allotment Garden seeks to inspire, educate and demonstrate the growing of fruit and vegetables within an urban environment.

Free public open days will take place between 10am and 4pm on the following dates:

18 June - Wildlife Gardening
30 June - Drop in and Q&A
17 July - Drop in and Q&A
31 July - Ask the Experts
13 August - Ask the Experts
21 August - Ask the Experts
25 August - Get Growing activity for children
18 September - Container Growing
26 September - Harvest Festival

About Capital Growth: Capital Growth can offer practical help, training and match land with gardeners. Capital Growth is funded by the Mayor of London and by Local Food, part of the Big Lottery Fund's Local Food Scheme. It is managed by London Food Link, part of the environment charity, Sustain. The programme has been awarded a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Commendation for its success in getting communities growing.

For further information please visit: www.capitalgrowth.org.

About Capel Manor College: For further information please visit www.capel.ac.uk.

About The Royal Parks: The Royal Parks is an executive agency of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The Royal Parks are: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James's Park.

For further information please visit: www.royalparks.org.uk.