Healthy Schools Partnership Challenge
Working alongside St Sebastian R.C. Primary School in Salford, Sow the City created a new food growing space to engage pupils and encourage healthy eating. The new garden provides valuable greenspace for the school, and a place to learn, have fun and relax.
"The children have thoroughly enjoyed the project and have benefited emotionally and socially. [they] have tried vegetables that they hadn’t tried before and have a much better understanding of healthy eating. [Sow the City’s] enthusiasm about their work has transmitted to the children which has contributed largely to the success of the project"
Amanda Donoghue, Headteacher, St. Sebastian’s R.C. Primary School
Nature takes back the tarmac
St Sebastian’s R.C. Primary school is a diverse, inner city school in Salford. The school has limited outdoor space, with only a tarmac playground and no greenspace.
Sow the City partnered with the school, and support from Salford CVS allowed us to build a new food growing garden in the school playground including raised beds for fruits and vegetables, seating and a composting area. This brilliant new greenspace hosts weekly sessions, where children learn all about growing, composting, healthy eating and wildlife.
School staff received Sow the City training in fruit and vegetable growing and facilitate ongoing sessions with pupils. Since working on the project, a number of children and staff have begun to grow their own vegetables at home. The project has helped to raise the profile of healthy eating in the school.
Sow the City have now secured funding through the Healthy Schools Partnership Challenge for 2019-20. We are currently working alongside Lewis St. Primary School in Eccles to create a new food growing garden in their school grounds, and to improve a woodland area for safe learning and play.
If you are interested in developing food growing facilities and sessions in your school, please get in touch.
