01/04/22: A new generation of gardeners inspired in Breckland

Pupils at a primary school in Thetford have swapped textbooks for gardening tools and litter pickers, with the help of Breckland Council and local businesses. It is part of an innovative green project to teach young people how to grow flowers and vegetables in a sustainable and cost-effective way, whilst learning how dropping litter affects our community.

Breckland Council's officers, in partnership with Thetford Garden Centre and Wilko's in the town, have helped young people at The Bishop's CE Primary Academy learn about the basics of gardening and highlighted how everyone can reuse waste items from home to develop a bountiful home garden. Pupils also took part in a public gardening event in the Abbey Estate, planting flowers in public flowerbeds with the support of Serco staff.

From milk containers, wellies and even broken buckets holding compost and seeds, council officers showed local pupils how household items can be reused to help grow beautiful plants and tasty vegetables at home. With support from local businesses including Thetford Garden Centre, Wilko's and Not Just Books in Thetford, pupils will now carefully grow the plants and vegetables at school, with a competition over the coming weeks and months to see who can grow the most impressive plants and vegetables.

Cllr Sarah Suggitt, Executive Member for Planning, Leisure and Contracts at Breckland Council, explained: "As part of the 2022 Keep Britain Tidy Spring Clean and the council's Breckland 2035 Corporate Plan commitment, we wanted to help show the next generation that not only can we reduce waste in the community by recycling, but also by reusing waste items for alternative uses.

"From growing flowers in wellies, to vegetables in broken buckets, it's amazing what can be reused and serve a useful purpose once more. I am also delighted to see the children use public planters to grow new flowers, which residents have already congratulated the children for completing. We hope projects like this will leave a legacy for years to come in reducing waste in our community and hopefully inspire a new generation of Thetford gardeners."

Chris Read, Interim Headteacher at The Bishop's CE Primary Academy commented: "We are incredibly proud that our pupils, who care deeply about our environment, have taken up this green challenge with energy, enthusiasm and green fingers! This project has offered our pupils an exceptional learning experience about how to be self-sufficient, grow healthy vegetables to eat at home and help reduce waste in our community. All of the learning today, and over the coming weeks, will be now linked into our core curriculum areas such as Science, Maths and English, reinforcing the valuable lessons learnt."