Saxton Primary School presses ahead with Community Garden plans after securing Tesco grant

Saxton Church of England Primary School has been awarded a £500 grant from Tesco, which will allow the staff and pupils to start to develop a much-anticipated community garden.

Based within the school grounds, the project would allocate areas of the site to gardening activities, resurrecting and refurbishing overgrown raised beds and providing a community facility.

Not only will it be available to the pupils throughout the day, but families and members of the wider community will also be able to grow fruit and vegetables for their own use, and also donate a small amount to the school kitchens.

The £500 contribution comes from Tesco’s Stronger Starts Scheme - a £5m grant programme in partnership with Groundwork UK which gives children across the UK a stronger start in life, by boosting funds for extra food and activity equipment.

The grants are intended to help schools and children’s groups provide healthy activities that support young people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

Commenting on the project Rick Weights, Executive Headteacher at Saxton Federation of CE Primary School, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured some funding as part of the Tesco’s Stronger Starts Scheme which will allow us to progress with our community garden plans.

“In creating the project as a community activity we would strengthen the links between the school and the wider community, supporting the engagement of residents who no longer have children of school age. We anticipate families will support the garden together so that it provides an intergenerational opportunity for different ages to come together.

“The funds secured mean we are now able to prepare some good growing areas and help start the project.”

Graham Duxbury, Groundwork’s UK Chief Executive, added: “As a community charity, we have seen first-hand how schools and other groups supporting young people have been playing a much bigger role in ensuring children are getting a healthy start to the day and getting access to spaces and services to support physical activity and mental health.

“Family budgets are tight and school budgets are tight, but it’s so important that children stay fed, fit and focused, so we’re delighted to be able to prioritise these activities alongside Tesco with the Stronger Starts programme.”