Roots and Shoots provides vocational training for young people, from the inner city, mainly from the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, giving them the skills and self-confidence that will equip them for work. The charity was set up in 1982 by Linda Phillips, MBE, who is still the Director, to help young people from Lambeth and Southwark prepare for the world of work. Up to twenty 16-19 year olds who have had difficulty coping in the traditional educational system spend a year learning at Roots and Shoots. Alongside this training local schools and the wider community are involved by establishing the site as an important green space for urban biodiversity.Since the charity was founded, the one-acre former Civil Defence site has been transformed. Where once a Meccano factory engineering works and barrage balloon launch pad stood there is now an eco-training centre, plant nursery, shop, Wildlife Study Centre and Wild Garden. The eco building, completed in 2005 and officially opened in 2007 by HRH The Prince of Wales, is the hub of Roots and Shoots