Cwmfelinfach pupils' thanks for allotment (From South Wales Argus)

Cwmfelinfach pupils' thanks for allotment

2:30pm Thursday 24th May 2012 in News

LOCAL school children were celebrating the latest improvement to their market garden as part of an on-going community project.

Pupils from Cwmfelinfach Primary School thanked Greenhill Construction after it donated a poly tunnel to the allotment plot the school was given by the village allotment society.

Anthony King, 39, construction manager at Greenhill’s Cwmfelinfach site, who donated the £1,400 poly tunnel, said: “We like to get involved with projects near our sites. I think this project is a great example of the community pulling together”

Rod Nicholls, 58, chairman of the allotment society, helps out as a volunteer during the classes at the site.

He said: “A lot of the children have parents or grandparents who have allotments down here so it’s nice for their children to able to be involved with something they enjoy too.

“We also hope the children will come to appreciate the allotments.”

Teaching assistant, Lisa Dark, 44, takes the children to the allotment each week.

She said: “At the moment we are growing lettuce, rhubarb and radish.

“In the long term we would like to grow enough to be able to set up a stall at the school where we can sell the produce to raise money to buy more seeds or tools.

“We couldn’t do it without all the volunteers who come and help us out.”

Cwmfelinfach head teacher, Dave Witchell, 44, said: “Some of the pupils who perhaps struggle academically or can be difficult in class, when you get them down here they are different people.

“It’s incredibly important we allow children to find interests and achieve outside the classroom.”