Booking is open for Permaculture Design courses at Todmorden and Bury, and Broadbottom. Also coming up is a series of Home Medicine workshops and Angus Soutar's talk in Edinburgh.
PDC at Todmorden Community Hub
This Permaculture Design Course is at Todmorden on the Yorkshire-Lancashire border, handy for Halifax, Burnley, Rossendale with good connections to Leeds and Manchester. Start on Saturday 1st February 2025 or Saturday 1st March 2025 and continue for one Saturday a month for each of the 12 months. This is the usual full, modular, Permaculture Design Course, certificated internationally by the Permaculture Research Institute.
There will be additional opportuntities to visit some of the inspitational permaculture projects in the area, once the weather gets better.
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For this unique course we are working in partnership with Todmorden Community Hub Local partnerships reflect the spirit pf the town and its surrounding communities. Learn more and book here.
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PDC at Manchester Road Community Centre,Bury
Next year's Permaculture Design Course at Bury starts on Saturday 17th May 2025 and continues for one Saturday a month into the following year. It is a full, modular Permaculture Design Course, certificated internationally by the Permaculture Research Institute.
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The Venue is the old St Peter's School building which has good transport links and is well-placed to spend some time outdoors to explore the local (suburban) environment, its ecology and also the rivers in that part of Bury.
Learn more and booking information.
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PDC at Broadbottom near Hyde
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Broadbottom, although tucked away in delightful surroundings on the old Cheshire-Derbyshire border, is proving surprisingly accessible. We have a warm and comfortable venue in the centre of the village. Our Permaculture Design Course will run there again this year starting on Saturday 23th November 2024. As usual, it is a full, modular PDC, certificated internationally by the Permaculture Research Institute. Learn more and book.
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Herbal medicine workshops in Prestwich
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Discover the Art of Herbal Medicine with Edwina Hodkinson
Join medical herbalist Edwina Hodkinson for a series of seasonal workshops on creating herbal medicines for home use. As the year unfolds, you will build your own natural medicine cabinet, learning to support your health and address common ailments with remedies made from plants growing around you.
These workshops, held at Incredible Edible Prestwich in Manchester, offer a unique opportunity to deepen your connection with nature. If you attended Edwina’s previous talks with the Northern School of Permaculture, you know how inspiring and informative her sessions can be. Now, you can take your knowledge further by learning hands-on skills to harness the healing power of plants throughout the seasons.
Attend all four workshops or choose individual sessions based on your availability. Spaces are limited, so book early to secure your place.
Spring Medicine | Saturday | 26th April 2025
Spring brings renewal and a surge of vital energy. As winter fades, nature provides nutrient-rich plants to cleanse and invigorate the body. Edwina will guide you through working with dandelion, nettle, cleavers, and wild garlic—teaching you how to prepare them effectively to boost immunity and support overall well-being.
Summer Medicine | Saturday | 14th June 2025
Summer is a time of abundance. This session focuses on preserving the vibrancy of seasonal plants and harnessing their healing properties. Participants will take a guided herb walk, harvest fresh plants, and create hot-infused oils, salves, lotions, and glycerites. If time allows, we will also explore making infused vinegars and drying herbs for teas.
Autumn Medicine | Saturday | 13th September 2025
As the seasons shift, we turn to the rich offerings of seeds, berries, and late-summer flowers. This workshop covers working with nettle seeds, hogweed seeds, and elderberries to create immune-boosting remedies such as Elderberry Rob and oxymels made with honey and vinegar. If time permits, we may also craft hedgerow elixirs and tinctures.
Winter Medicine | Saturday | 15th November 2025
Winter is the season for roots, rosehips, and sloes—ingredients essential for fortifying the body against cold weather ailments. This session covers making cough syrups, fire cider vinegar, herbal glycerites, joint and muscle rubs, and chest rubs. We will also prepare traditional wartime rosehip syrup and cold rosehip jam. If you have dried herbs from previous seasons, we will incorporate them into our winter remedies, ensuring a seamless connection between nature’s cycles.
Embrace the wisdom of the seasons and empower yourself with the knowledge of herbal medicine. Book your place today and embark on a journey of natural healing with Edwina Hodkinson.
Angus Soutar in Edinburgh
Angus will give a talk: "It all starts with our food" at a Common Knowledge meeting in Edinburgh on the evening of 20th March 2025. The topic will be food security and our interactions with the natural world, inviting discussion on strategies for moving forward.
"As a myopic governing class leads us further and further into The Global Machine, how can we recover the health of our society and the planet as a whole? The answers may lie closer to home than we think." Angus will make the case for taking control of our own food supplies, and invite discussion on how we can overcome the current obstacles.
The event will take place at the Drivers Sports & Social Club (Taxi Club), EH7 4JED, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM More info and tickets available here.
More about the Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC)
The Northern School of Permaculture delivers, amongst other things, the Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC). This is open to anyone who wants to create a sane and safe future for themselves, their friends and their families. The course is based on the pioneering work of Bill Mollison and follows the international curriculum of 72 course hours, as originally designed by Bill himself. Our lead trainer is Angus Soutar who has 30 years experience of practising and teaching permaculture design. Angus is accredited internationally by the Permaculture Research Institute (PRI).
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Staying connected
If you are a graduate of one of our design courses, you can link up with fellow graduates and the core team on our Alumni Telegram Group. You can find more details here.
Keep in touch: on Telegram @teresa_pereira or via our staff contact page
Get involved!
If you haven't studied with us before, consider attending one of our events or courses.
If you are friends and colleagues, old and new, we invite you to:
- help out on one of our courses or drop in on our PDC sessions to catch-up or update your knowledge - contact Angus on Telegram @angussoutar or via our staff contact page
- help organise an event near you - perhaps a local visit or even one of our Design Practice Events (see previous "Whats On") - contact Teresa on Telegram @teresa_pereira or via our staff contact page
- recommend our courses to your friends and help create some lively and dynamic course groups.
Events Coordinator Teresa Pereira
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