Murroes primary in rural Angus is digging in to an eco project set to grow into a whole community venture.
The school is celebrating its first Eco Green flag, but far from resting on that laurel has thrown itself into a major project to expand its school garden.
It’s hoped the venture will feed the minds of youngsters at the primary and eventually supply locals with tasty home-grown produce throughout the year.
Thanks to a successful funding application through the Keep Scotland Beautiful community climate asset fund, a polytunnel and greenhouse have now sprung up on the secluded south-facing site in the school grounds.
Pupils, staff, parents and friends worked tirelessly during the summer to prepare the fruit and vegetable growing area.
School eco lead, teacher Mrs Judith Jamieson said there is already huge excitement among the youngsters around the entire project.
She said: “The school’s global goal is responsible consumption and production so this project links in perfectly.
“Developing this new area means the children can experience where food comes from, understand how it grows and develop their literacy, numeracy and artistic skills through this ongoing project.
“We have already had parent helpers in to make up containers and the greenhouse and help work on the different parts of the garden.
“Ideally, when the situation allows, we would like to help get a parents or grandparents group is so they could help maintain it and bring their own ideas in.”
Parent help
Parent volunteer Tracey Harper, whose nine-year-old son, Alfie, is a pupil at Murroes said the project has fantastic potential.
“I started volunteering to help in the school garden with a bit of weeding and so on.
“When Mrs Jamieson approached parents about this new growing area I was delighted to get involved.
“A lot of effort has gone into it already, but there is much more work to be done.
“It brings the children together with their families and is a great opportunity for everyone to get involved in a community project.”
Fruit trees
Tomato plants are already growing well in the polytunnel and outside beds have been prepared for the arrival of fruit trees and raspberry bushes.
There are several mature apple trees in the grounds and pupils already gather up the fruit to leave in a box at the gate for parents or locals to take away for their own use.
Mrs Jamieson added: “The garden has so much potential.
“It could be used as a place for storytime for the nursery pupils and then there will be nothing better than for the children to be able to enjoy the strawberries or other fruit and vegetables that they have grown themselves.
“Classes will be diving up the garden jobs and then working as a team to benefit the whole community.
“Hopefully parents and the community will want to be involved in the longer term.”
The Community Climate Asset Fund (CCAF) which boosted the Murroes project is a Scottish Government fund that was administered b Keep Scotland Beautiful.
Earlier this year, it was announced that 279 community-based organisations across Scotland would share more than £3.2 million.
The fund aims to help support community groups play a prominent role in the green recovery and tackle climate change through funding local projects.