What a “super-green” event on Monday 23 February, learning about all things “compost” from the amazing Soil Squad, news from Chiswell Green Community Garden and how to twin your garden and support a family in Africa with Ripple Effect!
Soroptimist International St Albans & District’s Planet Team organised this excellent event with Helen Byrne leading. The group welcomed several members from various community gardens and horticultural groups, so it was a great opportunity for future collaboration. The meeting focused on two main topics: 
composting and garden twinning. Vicky shared her expertise on composting, explaining how Soil Squad collects food waste and create compost using coffee grounds and wood chips. She described the community aspect of composting and invited others to participate. The group then learned about the Chiswell Green Community Garden from Anne Pringle, who detailed its 
establishment and recent achievements. Anne highlighted how Chiswell Green Community Garden became the first St Albans community garden to be twinned through the charity Ripple Effect to support a rural family in Africa. Ken Young from Ripple Effect demonstrated his passion for the charity. He talked about their fantastic work in Africa, clearly explaining how they help transform lives through sustainable farming, enterprise development, and gender inclusion initiatives. Chair Helen commented on the brilliant overlap between Soroptimist goals and the work of Ripple Effect and about our Club’s enthusiasm to encourage gardens to twin and support Ripple Effect’s work. The conversation ended with an invitation to local Community Gardens and other gardening groups and gardeners attending to consider garden twinning, with Ken agreeing to provide more information about the programme.
Click here to watch the 34 minute video recording of Vicky talking about the amazing work of Soil Squad https://youtu.be/Dp6MR4JS2Vo – you can also download her slides by clicking here Soil Squad Presentation 23 Feb 26 compressed
Click here to watch the 5 minute video recording of Anne talking about the Chiswell Green Community Garden https://youtu.be/y9J-7rbOoeY you can also download the slides by clicking here Grow Chiswell Green Feb 26
Click here to watch the 21 minute video recording of Ken talking about the wonderful work of Ripple Effect https://youtu.be/UpfK8QU-iBk you can also download his slides by clicking here Ripple Effect Ken Young 260223
As always there were lots of great questions.
Please keep reading to find out more!
Soil Squad’s Local Composting Initiative
Vicky Gutteridge, founder of Soil Squad, presented on the organisation’s work in St Albans, which collects food waste to compost at their community allotment. Soil Squad operates a closed-loop system where volunteers collect food waste in sealed buckets, which is then composted using a hot composter (Ridan) and worm bins. The resulting compost is returned to local schools and businesses, closing the loop on organic waste. Vicky emphasised the importance of focusing on local soil health and demonstrated how composting can be a healing process, both for the soil and for people involved in the work.
Composting Hub Community Initiatives
Vicky presented on the composting hub’s activities and achievements, highlighting their work with local schools, cafes, and the St Albans Community Pantry. She explained their closed-loop food waste composting system and the educational workshops they offer to the community. Vicky emphasised the importance of inspiring people to compost by showing them the benefits rather than forcing them to do it, and she discussed their plans to engage more volunteers and participate in the National Open Garden Scheme. In a year they have created 6 tonnes of compost and redirected more than 2.5 tonnes of food waste!
Vicky’s energy is infectious! she enthused everyone showing how composting can:
- Strengthen food security by rebuilding fertile soils.
- Reduce emissions and dependence on chemical inputs.
- Empower women and girls with green skills, confidence, and agency.
- Cultivate community connection and hope in uncertain times.
Composting is not just waste management, but a way to nurture both people and the planet, and a tangible path toward resilience led by women.
Composting Basics and Best Practices
Vicky discussed composting options with Helen, suggesting that even small-scale composting, such as returning dropped leaves to potted plants, can be beneficial. She recommended attending a Composting 101 workshop for more guidance and shared tips on making compost rat-proof and reducing odours. Vicky also clarified that their process is similar to using a hot bin, but on a larger scale, and emphasised the importance of balancing carbon and nitrogen in composting. She also spoke briefly about Bokashi composting which involves a fermentation process. Soil Squad arrange Compost Workshops – click here for information https://soilsquad.uk/events/
Ripple Effect
Ripple Effect communities, where most of their staff work, are in rural east Africa – Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia. According to poverty rates measured by percentage of the adult population living on less than $2.15 per day (the poverty line) these are 6 of the 24 most impoverished countries in the world with between 39% and 64% of the populations living below the poverty line – for comparison, all of UK and Europe is 0%.
Ripple Effect trains families in using up to date and traditional approaches to farming. Families learn to build productive farms and to adapt to the effects of the climate crisis. And ultimately their farms will have a climate-positive impact!
Community trainers and peer farmers share their knowledge with more farmers and communities, so there is a ripple effect of learning – hence the name!
In 2022-2023, Ripple Effect worked with 1.38 million people! – their biggest year to date:
regeneration of 241,500 football pitches worth of land, or 345,000 hectares
12,822 new businesswomen have started successful small agribusinesses, that meet the needs of their communities and provide vital income, savings and independence.
2,470 peer farmers have shared our work with their communities, meaning that for every family that takes part in a Ripple Effect project, three more benefit!
The meeting discussed potential collaborations with Soroptimist clubs in Africa and the Steve Sinnott Education Foundation, with Ken planning to follow up on these connections. Helen and Sarah highlighted the alignment between Ripple Effect and their organisation’s work “transforming the lives and status of women and girls through education, empowerment and enabling opportunities in rural East Africa.”
Chiswell Green Community Garden, has already been twinned – you can watch the presentation by scrolling up and following the links. Soroptimists Helen Byrne and Janet Tansley are pictured here on the right handing over the Garden Twinning Plaque to Christy Mitchell which is now displayed on the garden gate at the Greenwood Community Garden.
HELP MAKE ST ALBANS A GARDEN TWINNED CITY
We all know gardens are a joy and can also provide tasty nutritionally-rich food which can help ease the cost of feeding our families. Think how vital being able to grow their own food is for a family in rural Africa.
By getting involved and donating to twin your own or your Community’s Garden or allotment you can help provide a family in rural Africa with three years training in sustainable organic farming. Starting with small kitchen gardens, families can grow enough to eat, set up small businesses, send their children to school and go after their dreams. You’ll receive this Garden Twinning Kit – with a plaque you can display and some helpful hints on no-till food growing.
Ripple Effect Garden Twinning Project bringing hope to families in Africa https://rippleeffect.org/gifts/twin-my-community-garde2/
Vicky Gutteridge https://soilsquad.uk/
Vicky is the founder of Soil Squad, a St Albans-based Community Interest Company turning food waste into microbe-rich compost. A qualified Permaculture Designer and former Head of Education for a suicide prevention charity, Vicky brings together her backgrounds in health and education to show how soil regeneration and human wellbeing are deeply connected. Her work with Soil Squad is helping schools, businesses, and residents rethink waste as a resource and build thriving communities from the ground up.
There was no charge to attend this event. Anyone who booked on Eventbrite was asked if they wanted to make a donation to Ripple Effect to go towards our Garden Twinning Project, with no pressure to do so. Now you know more about it and wish to make a donation the bank details are on this page of the website: https://sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/donate/.