Tag: grow your own

2014 Cultivation School runner-up – Skipton Parish School

School volunteer Kath Pickard was talking to a dinner lady one day about the derelict area at the back of the school. It had been left as a tip – full of rubble left over from nearby building work. Together they decided to take on the challenge of transforming it into a school garden.

It took them endless hours of work. They roped in teachers, parents and other school staff to help out. Eventually, they had cleared the site and built a raised bed for each class in the school.

They held a Class Crop Challenge and each group chose to grow a different crop. Kath told us “The results were amazing! All the children got stuck in, learned about gardening and tasted new vegetables at the end!”

This year, they decided to take the challenge one step further. Each class had to design their own plot around a theme and grow produce for a big harvest festival.

The children had complete freedom with their plot. The crops were then judged and trophies awarded to the winners.

The school also took on the extra challenge of marking the Grand Départ of the Tour de France. The race actually came through Skipton, in North Yorkshire.

They decided to transform the garden at the front of the school into a ‘Sea of Yellow,’ using yellow plants to echo the infamous yellow jersey.

Kath says “It’s great to see them getting involved and interested in the great outdoors. It’s amazing what can be achieved through gardening.”

Skipton Parish School was awarded a runner-up Cultivation School prize from the judges. The prize is £500 of National Garden Gift Vouchers.

The judges created the runner-up prize especially for the school to mark their incredible achievements. They praised Kath’s ability to see the potential in the site, and her initiative in turning it into a space for the whole school to enjoy.

The pupils also submitted a diary to the competition, which charted the garden’s progress and all the new things they had learned.

Congratulations to everyone at Skipton Parish School!

See the 2014 Regional Winners and the Special Category Winners.
October 13, 2014
2014 Cultivation School winner – Ysgol Egsob Morgan

Junior school Ysgol Egsob Morgan in Denbighshire, Wales, has run an Eco Club for five years. Pupils grow a wide array of vegetables and have planted over 800 trees on the school site.

Teacher Richard Hatwood told us that all activities are led by the children and they are represented on the Eco Committee. They put forward their ideas to develop the school garden.

In recent years they have fundraised to have a new school pond developed, have a new allotment built and launch a chicken project.

The chicken project has been a huge success and the children are now offering their eggs to parents and guardians for a small donation. This helps pupils cover their costs and even purchase additional chickens.

Ysgol Egsob Morgan is a five star RHS school, and so has a commitment to coaching. The older children teach the younger ones how to tend the land, look after the animals and harvest the crops.

This year the children displayed some of the vegetables they had grown at Tatton Flower Show, and came in second place at the judging. Richard says they were inspired by the other displays and have started entering lots of competitions.

The students also love to take their gardening out into the community and have built a new wildlife garden alongside the river Elwy.

Richard says “Students don’t just turn up for Eco Club once a week for an hour – they come to school at 8am to look after their gardens, they use break times, lunchtimes and most evenings after school to garden too.”

“Developing our Eco Club has done wonders to encourage all children in learning about the outdoors.”

Ysgol Egsob Morgan has won the Cultivation School prize – £2000 of National Garden Gift Vouchers.

Judges were impressed by the variety of activities that the children do, and their enthusiasm about taking gardening out to the community. They liked the focus of sustainability in the Eco Club, and the presence of a pupil-led committee.

They also hailed it as an example of how school gardening can be used to teach children about the outdoors in general, rather than simply growing plants.

Judges also acknowledged Richard’s enthusiasm – he sent regular updates from Eco Club and engaged with the campaign online.

Congratulations to everyone at Ysgol Egsob Morgan!

See the 2014 Regional Winners and the Special Category Winners.
October 13, 2014
2014 Inspiration Street winners – Woodlands Community Garden

Woodlands Community Garden has been built by the community for the community. Over the last four years they have transformed a derelict site into a thriving outdoor community centre.

Much of the space is dedicated to raised beds, where members can grow their own veg, herbs and fruit. They hold community events to bring people together and green up the local area. They also hold Skills Swap workshops, where people offer their time to help others with things like carpentry and DIY.

Stuart Platt submitted an entry on behalf of his brother Colin, who has been volunteering at the garden for 15 months. Colin is 43 years old and has autism, as well as speech and learning difficulties.

His condition means that he needs routine to give him safety, and attending the community garden has been vital for structuring his week.

Stuart told us that because of Colin’s speech difficulties, he has never fully engaged in conversation. But since his time at the garden, this has radically changed. Colin always returns excited and with stories to tell of his work there.

When friends and family ask about his day at the garden, he has a desire to respond with a fuller story, and he builds longer sentences. This has meant he is communicating far more freely about other aspects of his life too.

Stuart says this change has been staggering, and that Colin has felt welcomed and accepted at the garden. The support and respect of the workers has had a huge impact on him, and his confidence and self-esteem have grown.

“I would say, without exaggeration, that attending the garden has been transformative for Colin and his life,” says Stuart.

“Given the opportunity, Colin would attend the garden every day!”

Woodlands Community Garden won the Inspiration Street Award, winning £500 of National Garden Gift Vouchers.

Judges were impressed by Colin’s inspiring story and his transformation. They hailed the garden as an example of how horticulture can lead to greater inclusion. Judges also praised the idea of Skills Swaps as a way to get people in the community helping each other out.

Congratulations to everyone at Woodlands Community Garden!

See the 2014 Regional Winners and the Special Category Winners.

October 13, 2014