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Young gardeners get ready for spring
Published Thursday 2nd December 10
Children from Friars School in Wellingborough were dressed for winter but thinking of spring as they carried out essential digging and ground preparation today as part of a gardening project.
The children were talking part in the schools' gardening scheme, which receives funding from Wellingborough councillors Lesley Callnon, Martin Griffiths and Thomas Pursglove, as well as the police.
Around 40 children from four Wellingborough schools - Friars, Wrenn, Croyland and All Saints - attend a session once a week for an hour to grow produce such as vegetables, herbs and flowers, from seed.
The project runs all year round so the children get to understand the full cycle of growing, and it's during these winter months that the hard work of digging and manure spreading is needed to get the ground ready for planting in the spring. The project takes place in and around Wellingborough Council's greenhouses and the council also looks after the produce between sessions.
Cllr Callnon said: "This project ticks all the boxes - the children are getting physically fit and healthy, they are being educated about nutrition and the life cycle of food, they are learning about different plants, and they are discovering important life skills such as team work and patience."
Cllr Pursglove added: "It just goes to show what results you can achieve with very little financial input. The children are working very hard and are so enthusiastic, even when it's really cold and snowy like today. We are all really proud to be involved with it."
Chief Inspector Gary Ashton said: "The project gives the children an alternative to traditional school pursuits, and it's a great opportunity for them to mix with different age groups. They are developing a real respect for the environment, and will hopefully encourage their friends to have that respect too. From our point of view it's also a really good way for us to engage with young people and develop a positive relationship."