Grow Together Bucks
This year, growing conditions have been much more favourable, we hope this continues
In addition to the growing skills lessons which we have been running at Marsh Primary School since January, this term we are delighted to also be teaching practical classes at Ash Hill School. Before we could start classes there, we had to repair and make safe the beds in the Courtyard Garden, by removing rotten timbers and replacing them with new ones. This work, along with preparing the beds for growing skills classes, was completed during the Easter holidays with help from staff, parents, pupils and volunteers; ready for Grow Together to commence practical classes in May.
Meanwhile at Marsh Primary School, in late March, the children enjoyed practical growing classes at the Community Allotment planting out the broad beans they sowed back in the chilly weather in January. Also, they planted potatoes, peas, broccoli and cabbage to be harvested during the Summer Term.
On the first Saturday after the Easter holidays, we hosted an Open Day at the community allotment attended by more than thirty pupils and their parents. As well as sowing seeds to take home, the children enjoyed an Easter Egg allotment quiz, an art activity with Amy and John kept us all entertained with his clever ‘Brainy Songs’, which teach the children through music about nature and plants. Thankfully, tea and home-made cakes kept us all sustained!
During the spring, we have been busy at the allotment sowing and potting on seedlings to provide a succession of plants to productively use the growing spaces at the allotment and the growing beds at Marsh Primary and Ash Hill Schools.
As well as the funding the work at both schools, M&MBL also part funded a small shed at our community allotment, providing us with the extra storage needed to host school classes on site. It’s surprising how many pairs of children’s gloves need washing when teaching 90 pupils growing skills each month!
During the spring, we completed the ground grid and raised beds at the community allotment (funded by Red Kite), enabling access to those with limited mobility to come and join our weekly sessions.
We also continue to host volunteering days for local businesses at community venues. At the Community Allotment this spring, corporate volunteers helped us build the base and fit a new water harvesting system onto our new shed, finish the ground grid in our new raised bed area, cleared an overgrown patch and built new growing beds. With the help of volunteers, we also tidied up the shrubbery around the boundary fence at Wrights Meadow Community Centre.
Every Wednesday and Saturday mornings (weather permitting!) throughout the spring and summer, members of the community have been joining us at the allotment helping to produce and harvest fresh fruit and vegetables.
All volunteers can take home produce and the surplus is given to One Can Trust.
If you are interested either in Grow Together organising a volunteering day for your business, or if you are involved in a local organisation that would benefit from having work done by our volunteers then we would also love to hear from you. The theme of these days is generally outdoor and associated with growing plants, or gardening.
So far this year, growing conditions have been much more favourable than last year; we hope this continues.
We are always on the lookout for more volunteers so please do get in touch if you are interested either joining in and helping or just to pop in and say ‘Hello’. Our contact details are on our website.