Workshop: Youth Future Food Lab

Are you interested in food and sustainable food systems or keen to learn more? 🌱

Young adults in Food presents: Youth Future Food Lab. Facilitated by Belinda Ng and hosted by Georgia Dowling at OmVed Gardens.

We’re inviting a small group of 18–30-year-olds to explore how we can design engaging, youth-led events that inspire wider public and industry engagement, participation and support.

The session will be practical and collaborative, giving you the opportunity to share ideas, meet others who care about the future of food, and help shape what comes next.

The October workshop will culminate in the formation of a small organising group, who will work alongside OmVed to plan and deliver a larger, public-facing pop-up event in early 2027.

What to expect:

• 6:15 PM — Doors open
  
• 6:30 PM — Welcome & garden tour 
  
• 7:15PM — Design thinking workshop 
• 8:30 PM — Finish

What's included:

• Welcome cordial and snack
• Workshop 
• Option to be involved in a longer term project at OmVed Gardens

Who can take part
Anyone interested in food systems and the future of food, aged between 18-30 year old. We’re looking for people who want to get involved in a long-term, practical food systems project and help explore how we can shape a more sustainable and resilient food future.

This event will take place in the kitchen and garden (weather permitting).

About the facilitators and host:

Belinda Ng 

Belinda is a youth food sustainability advocate, consultant, educator and podcaster. She is passionate about contributing towards tackling food insecurity, which was inspired by her extensive volunteering at food banks, community kitchens and community farms growing up in Hong Kong. A World Economic Forum Global Shaper, Belinda co-leads a project in London working to establish community fridges and deliver nutrition and financial education for primary students in underserved areas. With a particular interest in the gender and food insecurity nexus, she has also conducted research on migrant mothers' lived experiences buying and preparing food in low-income households in HK. Belinda is one of 30 selected youth leaders of the global Act4Food movement, driving youth engagement across sectors to translate the pledges of over 165,000 youth globally into tangible action and progress. Belinda currently works as a Senior Associate in ERM's Sustainability & Climate Solutions team, advising companies on how to integrate sustainability into business strategies and operations. She holds a BA in Geography from The University of Cambridge and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London.

Georgia Dowling

Georgia is Co-head of the OmVed kitchen. She set up the Young adults in Food programme in at OmVed in 2024 as a way to encourage young people back into the industry, to show the diversity of job roles available and to make them feel like they have a voice and say in the future of the food industry.

She has been a chef for 10 years and trained at the College of naturopathic medicine in London. She since set up her own retreat catering business, worked as a recipe writer and developer, and as a freelance chef. She has done stints in deliciously ellas restaurant in Bond Street and worked for many years in the retreat kitchen in Richmond. 

Over the past 5 years she has worked at OmVed and is an advocate for plant-based and sustainable practices within the industry.

About OmVed Gardens:

OmVed Gardens is a garden, exhibition, events, and learning space in North London dedicated to exploring the connections between food, ecology and creativity for health and climate resilience. We are on a mission to inspire ecological awareness and action, and deepen our understanding of interconnectedness with the natural world.

As a registered Community Interest Company, all our activities prioritise social and ecological objectives. Whether collaborating with chefs, creatives, gardeners, or schools, OmVed Gardens is a hub for education, connection, and action. We aim to inspire individuals and communities to reimagine their role in building a healthier, more resilient world.

We work to increase biodiversity - of species, seeds, food systems, and participation, through regenerative gardening, seed saving, habitat creation, and ecological education. Our space serves as a living example of how urban areas can be transformed into thriving ecosystems that support both human and non-human communities.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter for tips from the garden and kitchen and hear about our upcoming activities.

www.omvedgardens.com · @omvedgardens

A note on accessibility: The gardens are set on a hill, featuring steep paths and may not be suitable for those with limited mobility. Wheelchair access across the site is currently limited while landscape works are underway. For events, there is drop-off access by car to the Barn main building. If you require wheelchair drop-off, please get in touch with us ahead of time. There is an accessible toilet located inside the Barn.

Refund Policy: Tickets are non-refundable.

Subsidised Tickets: A small number of subsidised tickets are available for this event. If cost is a barrier, please write to us at events@omvedgardens.com — we'd love to help you join us. Subject to availability.