A GROUP of gardening keen children from Bradworthy Primary Academy recently visited Mole Valley Farmers in Holsworthy to select and buy a range of tools and plants for the garden using grant money received for the Bradworthy Fork to Fork project.

This included choosing bird food and bird box materials as the children will be making their own boxes.

The aim of the project is to teach pupils how to grow plants and vegetables in a sustainable way and to develop and encourage wildlife habitats.

The East Youlstone Community Benefit Fund has covered the cost of part of the project, and a poly tunnel has kindly been donated to the school.

This will enable the children to be able to grow a wider range of things, ever when the weather is not permitting.

In the past year Sutton Seeds (www.suttons.co.uk) have donated seeds and other plants to the school for children to grow and eat, and a school spokesperson said: “Mole Valley Farmers have been incredibly kind and helpful helping us find everything we need for the garden and giving us things like wooden pallets for our bug hotel as well as giving us compost at a cheap price.”

The school gardener, Richard Hart, has been going into school for an afternoon a week to work with children across the school in the school gardens.

The school has also set up a gardening afterschool club in which the children can plant new flowers and vegetables, as well as setting up things like the bug hotel.

Pupils’ comments included: “I like doing gardening in school because we can plant things like beans, onions, tomatoes and pumpkins and take them into the kitchen to cook with for the school dinners,” and “I like planting plants — it’s a good thing to do instead of staying inside and watching TV.”