Make It Grow

Supporting community-based food projects: advisory & training services on participatory video proposals for planning, sharing and fundraising purposes.

Make It Grow is a UoS CROSS Catalyst award winner, affiliated to the Institute for Sustainable Food, University of Sheffield, supported by the UKRI's Economic and Social Research Council and an EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship (#892865).

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WHAT WE DO

We offer advisory services, resources & training in the following areas:

Development of digital learning tools

We devise resources to support straightforward ways of enhancing the social inclusion, production and dissemination of video proposals for community groups and facilitators.

Facilitation of capacity-building workshops and online learning spaces

We provide tools and facilitate online spaces to enable individuals, groups and organisations to build their video-making capacities, particularly for the purpose of creating community-based, participatory video proposals.

Collaboration with international donors

We work with INGOS, community groups and networks, like the United Nations Development Programme's Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme and other donors, to support and pilot the integration of video proposals into their grant management and application process.

Support and advocacy for community-based sustainable food initiatives

Through our social media channels, we provide support for the community partners that we work with by promoting their videos. Public events and video screenings are organised to support the fundraising efforts and raise awareness about sustainable food issues.

2025 & 2026 Highlights

Make It Grow continued to strengthen participatory video, community learning, research and community-led project development across 2025 and 2026.

2025

Published the Make It Grow Facilitation Toolkit, providing practical guidance for facilitators supporting community groups to create participatory video proposals.
Secured a £5,000 Faculty small grant to support participatory monitoring and evaluation activities carried out by ORAP, Kufunda Village and PORETO.
Hosted online workshops for Make It Grow facilitators and community groups, where participants shared and reviewed participatory video reports, exchanged project updates and strengthened their video documentation skills.
Community project groups were visited at least twice during 2025 as part of the monitoring and evaluation work. The information gathered contributed to the Impact Report and Community Booklet.
Created video testimonials during the monitoring visits, capturing community experiences and project developments.
The University of Sheffield recognised Make It Grow's contribution to knowledge exchange and impact with an Award for Outstanding Partnership or Impact in Sustainablilty and the Environment.

2026

Continued online workshops for Make It Grow facilitators and community groups, creating regular opportunities for knowledge exchange, project updates and community-building. These sessions helped participants continue developing their participatory video and documentation skills
Developed further impact research using participatory monitoring data, supported through a research placement involving Shriya Bajaj. This work helped analyse monitoring findings and strengthen understanding of community experiences, project development and impact.
Hosted a Summer Research Placement, supporting the development of Make It Grow outputs, including work connected to the Community Booklet and wider project communication.
Produced a new Make It Grow video, documenting the programme's work and highlighting its role in supporting resilient community food systems and participatory approaches.
Delivered a Sheffield City Council commissioned workshop programme, supporting five community groups from Walkley, City and Broomhill, and Sharrow Vale wards to develop participatory video proposals for Ward Pot funding.

Are you a donor agency, funding body or organisation interested in video proposals to support grant management and application? Or a community organisation interested in integrating video proposals into your community work?

We are open to commissions. Please reach out to us to explore ways of working together.

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This is our story

The Make it Grow project was borne from a need to support grassroots community organisations to use video to effectively share their stories and pitch their project ideas. The workshop is designed to support participants in using video more effectively, as a powerful tool to communicate, to learn, to document and gain support for community-based food projects. Our learning programme is practical and highly interactive, aiming to create an online space for mutual support and knowledge exchange between participating individuals, communities or organisations.

HOW WE HELP

Facilitated Video Proposals

Makunembe Traditional Food Recipes

13/06/2025

A participatory video proposal, made by members of the 'Makunembe Traditional Meals' group in Bulilima District, Matebeleland South Province, Zimbabwe. Facilitation by Buhle Ndlovu and Paul Nyoni. This community proposal was created within the frame of the project, "Make it Grow: Transforming Community Grant Processes and Supporting Sustainable...

Nutri-Grain Porridge

13/06/2025

A participatory video proposal, made by members of the 'Management Community Health Club' in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Facilitation by Duduzile Dube and Effater Sithole of ORAP. This community proposal was created within the frame of the project, "Make it Grow: Transforming Community Grant Processes and Supporting Sustainable Food Start-ups...

Phakama Sakhamuzi Urban Farmers' Network

13/06/2025

A participatory video proposal, made by members of the 'Phakama Community Group' in the City of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Facilitation by Alport Ndebele and Makhosi Ndebele, with support from ORAP.

Bud Self-Help Group Broiler Project

13/06/2025

A participatory video proposal, made by members of the 'Bud Self-Help Group' in Chirumanzu District, Midlands Province, Zimbabwe. Facilitation by Takudzwanashe Tadzoka and Lawrence Makaure of Hand In Hand Zimbabwe. This community proposal was created within the frame of the project, "Make it Grow: Transforming Community Grant Processes and...

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Featured Resources

Make It Grow Facilitation Toolkit

A practical step-by-step resource for facilitators supporting community groups to plan and create participatory video proposals.

VIEW THE TOOLKIT

Community Booklet- Learning with Community Food Initiatives in Zimbabwe

A community-focused booklet sharing experiences, learning and insights from food initiatives developed through the Make It Grow programme in Zimbabwe.

READ THE BOOKLET