Monther AbuTarha/Oxfam
Plant Swaps
Bring a plant. Take a plant. Fight for climate justice.
Sign up today and you’ll receive…
- 15% off all Sourced by Oxfam gardening products
- A digital poster to advertise your event
- Access to Oxfam’s Climate e-book
- Some windowsill gardening tips from Oxfam GB’s CEO, Halima Begum
- A digital climate campaign poster to display at your event
By choosing to host a Plant Swap and bring people together, you will be connecting with communities around the world to limit the impacts of climate change and tackle inequality.
How it works
- Pick a date and decide on a venue – whether it’s small scale at home or a larger venue in your local community
- Advertise your event far and wide – create an event on social media or display posters in your local area
- Encourage people to bring a plant to swap – or a few!
- Set a ticket price for entry or charge an amount per plant – you could even fundraise extra by offering refreshments too
- Enjoy a fun sense of togetherness with fellow plant lovers
- Send your donations to Oxfam, knowing you’re supporting communities around the world struggling with the effects of climate injustice and tackling inequality.
At Oxfam, we believe in the power of bringing people together and this event does just that! Come together to tackle inequality by organising a Plant Swap to raise money for Oxfam.
This is an opportunity join forces in your local community to swap plants, seeds or cuttings and grow your collection – or just meet up with other plant lovers. Whether you plan a relaxed gathering for a few friends at home, organise a big community get together in your local village hall or local café, or come together in the office with your colleagues, we are encouraging you to bring people together, celebrate the joy of plants and contribute to Oxfam’s work fighting climate injustice.
Gardening in a refugee camp
Monther AbuTarha/Oxfam
"A plant has a soul, and I am the one who’s responsible for these plants, as if they were my children"
In Za'atari refugee camp, Jordan, thousands of white caravans stand near to Mafraq in the north of the country. The camp is home to 80,000 Syrian refugees, making it the world’s largest Syrian camp.
Residents in the camp, alongside Oxfam, have created a filtration system to clean used water. This system passes dirty water through sand to remove nasties, so water used in cleaning can be recycled and a third of household water saved. Not only does this water cover essentials like cleaning and cooking, it means the residents of the caravans have the joy of growing vibrant flowering plants.
Abu Younes*, who arrived in the camp in 2014 after fleeing Syrian conflict, said: “I had to share my water with my plants. A plant has a soul, and I am the one who’s responsible for these plants, as if they were my children, that is why I make sure that they stay alive and well, or else I would feel guilty.”
Abu and others have created precious green spaces, some using the recycled water systems. Despite challenging soil conditions and limited water, their plants offer welcome greenery.
“Two or three years ago, I started planting my yard… today I have around 15 trees and 11 different types of plants. Back home I used to work in agriculture, we had land and used to cultivate all sorts of crops and trees, it was our source of livelihood,” said Abu.
Those who have done the least to cause the climate crisis are experiencing it first and worst - are you ready to stand in solidarity with Abu and other plant growers throughout the world? Celebrate the joy of plants within your own community, plan your plant swap now!
When we come together in solidarity, we can make a big impact.
- A £5 donation can support healthy and affordable food projects, like transforming neglected spaces into gardens in the Philippines
- A £10 donation can support sugarcane projects in Nepal, enabling sustainable income for communities
- A £25 donation can support farmers to develop sustainable farming methods in East Africa, building climate resilience
Remember… if you have any questions at all about your event, you can drop us an email at fundraising@oxfam.org.uk
*Name has been changed to protect identity