Sitting on the other side of the world in Aotearoa New Zealand, where I now live, I received a piece of ‘looking back, looking forward writing from Nicole’ . It was a response to the idea that we might co-write a blog post in recognition of Global Generation’s 20 year history.

This was the year when the world turned upside down. We were grateful for our gardens, our open fires and most of all for the wayfinding spirit of our team and the readiness of our participants, which all combined to help us find a gentle path through the uncertainties and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. As one of the Generators wrote:

This was a year of endings and new beginnings; in terms of the locations we operate from and the team of people delivering our projects. Here is a flavour of the year drawn from the rich selection of blogs that were posted over the last twelve months.

Global Generation was founded back in 2004, with the feeling that by combining the creativity of nature with the imaginations of children and young people, we would create magic. Now, 14 years later, we are grateful for all of the great ways that this has proved to be true in 2018, in the Skip Garden, The Paper Garden, and on our campsite at Pertwood Organic Farm in Wiltshire.

This was the year that a number of our long cherished dreams came to fruition, in large part through the interest and creativity of our young Generators and the generous support of our business collaborators. It was a big year for all things food related, writes Jane Riddiford

As Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry wrote, “There is a deep pull within us to discover and be true to the fact of our own interrelatedness.“ We experienced a new kind of togetherness in 2012 when we moved the Skip Garden, the Hoop Garden and our office onto our current location, writes Jane Riddford.

This was the year Global Generation teamed up with Branding Agency Wolff Olins and Urban Bees to form the Honey Club, an initiative that has enabled us to involve young people and local business employees in the intricate and mysterious world of bees writes Jane Riddiford.

I think it is fair to say that to date the strongest elements of Global Generation’s work have revealed themselves through a process of hands-on doing, rather than any form of organised strategic plan.

The next phase of Global Generation’s journey took us from Rooftops to Skips on Developers Land. How did we end up as an integral part of one of the biggest regeneration sites in Europe, all 67 acres of it? Writes Jane Riddiford.

Developing Global Generation has often felt like we were following a map that was being uncovered through the great people we met along the way, writes Jane Riddiford.

It was through Arthur Potts-Dawson of Acorn House restaurant that we were introduced to King’s Cross-based branding agency Wolff Olins.

One of the many times Global Generation has experienced a challenge turning to an opportunity was in 2007. Thanks to the summer drought in the previous year that nearly devastated our first London project - a garden on the roof of The Office Group’s building in King’s Cross - we found ways to bring water to support the growth of wild flowers and food crops, writes Jane Riddiford.

2006 was a landmark year. Thanks to funding from the City Bridge Trust, Global Generation took on our first group of young generators (14 – 18 year old youth leaders). Since then the Generators have provided the backbone for much of Global Generation’s work writes Jane Riddiford.

Whilst digging up saplings for a tree planting project down at Pertwood Farm back in 2005 I started imagining how we could bring the Pertwood experience to London. Our first real opportunity was thanks to Charlie Green; director of The Office Group, provider of office spaces for small businesses in central London, writes Jane Riddiford.