Pebble Brook Primary School5 May 2010
Pebble Brook had an allotment, bags of energy and wanted fresh vegetables for their school lunches.
Enter South Cheshire Friends of the Earth local group and their new project 'Growing Food with Schools'.
Two years later, a bit of hard work and the allotment has been transformed:
...food for the school kitchen, increased local biodiversity, young people learning life skills, less waste to landfill, rainwater harvesting...the environmental benefits are dramatic.
Tania Sayer, South Cheshire Friends of the Earth
The idea
Pebble Brook Primary School backs onto a Council allotment. When they were offered a plot, a teacher from the school contacted South Cheshire Friends of the Earth.
The local group was able to provide advice, skills and money for seeds and basic equipment. Pebble Brook Primary's allotment sprung into life:
Pebble Brook Primary
School allotment
School allotment
- raised beds for vegetables
- a rockery and flower garden for insects
- re-planted apple trees from the main school site
- bird boxes
- wheelchair access.
We wanted to connect young people with where food comes from; the land not the supermarket! Food grown will be used in the school kitchens - it does not get more fresh and local than this!
Janet Parry, South Cheshire Friends of the Earth
Community involvement
Compost bins
Parents help with the watering. Another allotment owner donated compost bins, water butts and other equipment. And community probation workers built the paths, raised beds and a shelter on the site.
The generosity and support offered by other allotment holders and the community has been fantastic.
Tania Sayer
What next
The school is planning more raised beds, a poly-tunnel and a grassed area that will be used for outdoor classes.
They have set up a gardening club, and a local landscape gardener is donating them seeds and canes.
South Cheshire Friends of the Earth are now working with two other local schools to grow vegetables for school meals.
More about South Cheshire Friends of the Earth >
Find your nearest Friends of the Earth group >
© Pebble Brook Primary School
