THE school garden at Eldwick Primary School was still feeling the effects of the pandemic - until an enthusiastic parent-led volunteer group came together to help restore and revive the outdoor space.
With the help of students, parents, and the local community, the school garden is now once again a place which the children can enjoy.
Kim Rushton, one of the volunteers, says: “The outdoor space at school is such an important resource for the children. It was such a shame to see it unused, overgrown and unloved.
“With the help and support we have received we have been able to breathe life back into it and make it a safe space for the children to enjoy.”
The volunteers have been holding learning sessions with pupils at the school, and the youngsters have been planting their own seeds, as well as nurturing crops, making compost and watching practical demonstrations.
With some of the funds raised, the school has introduced compost bins in the classrooms to encourage everyone to think about the impact they have on the environment.
Rosie, a pupil at the school, says: “It’s amazing being able to use the school garden, I love watering the vegetables and watching how everything is growing.
“The best thing was making the compost and the presents for the worms to thank them for helping.”
The garden team has held two volunteer days when they continued to prepare sections of the garden to make it more usable and accessible.
The event involved clearing a section of the garden to plant pumpkins, in the hope the school can host a ‘Pick your own’ session in October for the schoolchildren and local community, and help raise more funds for the garden.
A further volunteer day is planned on Sunday, July 7.
Headteacher Dan Lomas says: “The support from the parents, students and the local community has been fantastic.
“From where the garden was to where it is now is just incredible to see. The volunteers have some amazing ideas, and I can’t wait to see how the garden continues to improve and to flourish, for the benefit of all the children here.”
With a focus on sustainability and reducing environmental impact, the volunteer group has further plans to improve the garden.
If you would like to support this project, get in touch with the team by emailing eldwickschoolgarden@gmail.com
You can also follow their progress on Facebook: Eldwick School Garden and Instagram: eldwickschoolgarden
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