Heysham village school pupils show local MP how their garden grows

Children at a North Lancashire primary school have been sharing their growing gardening and environmental knowledge with their local MP on a tour of their new school allotment, which was funded by renewable energy developer OnPath Energy.

Overton St Helens Primary School near Heysham invited Morecambe & Lunesdale MP Lizzi Collinge to take a look at how they’re turning an area of open space at the back of the school building into an allotment that will feature planting beds, polytunnels and water butts.

The allotment was designed to complement the work already being done through the school’s gardening club and Forest School activities.

The children have now finished planting their first allotment crops, which will be ready to harvest by the start of the autumn term.

The project was funded by a £3,576 grant given to the Overton School Friends Association from the community fund linked to OnPath Energy’s nearby Heysham South Wind Farm, which covered the cost of setting up the allotment over the winter and buying all the tools, equipment, soil and seeds required to get things started.

A selection of books that are helping the children learn more about growing their own produce was also bought using the OnPath grant – and as well as providing a space for pupils to grow their own produce, the allotment is now also doubling up as an outdoor classroom.

The school consulted with several local educators with experience of running this sort of project as part of its preparations and also spoke to local growing centres about the best ways to get it up and running.

Overton St Helens Primary School has around 170 pupils on its roll from Reception through to Year Six and already has a strong environmental focus.

With so many different costs to cover within a school like ours, and so much pressure on budgets, it would have been a real challenge to find funding for a project like this, so we’re hugely grateful to OnPath Energy for stepping up and enabling us to get everything we needed at the same time.”

Joanne Easthope, head at Overton St Helens Primary School

Joanne Easthope, head at Overton St Helens Primary School, says: “Being in a very rural location, we’re passionate about the getting the children outdoors as much as we can and building their understanding of the environment, both in our local area and for the planet as a whole.

“Everyone knows the positive impacts that spending time outdoors has on your well-being, while learning in a different place to the usual classroom environment can be hugely benefit to some children.

“The allotment is something with which the whole school community is getting actively involved and we’re all so excited to be sharing what we’ve done so far with our local MP.

“With so many different costs to cover within a school like ours, and so much pressure on budgets, it would have been a real challenge to find funding for a project like this, so we’re hugely grateful to OnPath Energy for stepping up and enabling us to get everything we needed at the same time.”

Lizzi Collinge MP adds: “It was a real pleasure to visit Overton St Helen’s today, and to meet the children who have been working so hard on their allotment. As a keen vegetable grower myself I was thrilled to have the opportunity to speak to local children who too have found a passion for this.

“The allotment project is an excellent example of how big infrastructure projects, such as the OnPath Energy windfarm can fund long term, positive projects within local communities.”

As part of the company’s OnPath Together development approach, more than £157,000 has so far been generated by the Heysham South Wind Farm for its community fund, which provides financial support for projects being undertaken by groups and good causes in surrounding communities.

Tom Chaplin, partnership and community manager at OnPath Energy, says: “The school’s commitment to delivering environmental education and the children’s enthusiasm for taking up the opportunities that are offered to them is inspirational.

“The allotment project will provide a wide range of long-term benefits to everyone involved and it’s been fantastic to hear how the staff and children are bringing it to life.”

Environmental and community projects in the vicinity of the Heysham South Wind Farm which are interested in applying to its community fund should first contact the fund manager via apply@onpathcommunityfund.co.uk or on 0191 378 6342 to confirm that their group or project is eligible.