Squire?s Garden Centres is working with the RHS to launch a programme to get secondary school children into gardening and hopefully careers in horticulture.
The ?Secondary School Challenge? scheme was launched on 28 September, and now over 70 children aged between 12 and 15 have taken part from schools across Surrey, Middlesex and Greater London.
Each school team was allocated a mentor from either Squire?s Garden Centre or RHS Wisley to help them plan, develop and design their ideas. The final assessment day took place on 2 December at RHS Wisley. Prizes were awarded for:
- Best Teamwork ? Surbiton High School
- Most Innovative ? Notre Dame School, Lingfield
- Pupil?s Choice ? Sir William Perkins School, Chertsey
- Best Overall Project ? Bishop David Brown School, Woking
The four winning schools were awarded a Raspberry Pi time-lapse photography kit and gardening vouchers, and the children received a selection of carnivorous and cactus plants to take home.
Kay Clark, RHS community outreach manager, said: ?The RHS does a huge amount of work to ensure primary school children have access to the educational and wellbeing benefits of horticulture. We are committed to school children, whatever their age, having access to horticulture, and that is why we launched the Secondary School Challenge.
?We chose to partner with Squire?s Garden Centres as they are passionate about plants and about introducing horticulture to young people ? Squire?s staff have really helped ignite the children?s passion for gardening.?
