NGE gets involved with a local allotment garden in Huyton!

On the 8th of September, NGE was joined by?SLJ Civils Ltd?at the Halsned Primary School Allotment in Huyton, to assist with general maintenance of the garden and also to build raised beds in the hopes of allowing more space to grow produce for their Social Supermarket.

The Social Supermarket was set up to provide support for families who were struggling amid the cost-of-living crisis, as the number of students at the school who were eligible for pupil premium had increased. As a result, the Knowsley council wanted to act and it was then that they created the Social Supermarket, an initiative that aimed to bring the community together and welcome anyone who wanted to visit with open arms.

The allotment garden is also used by the connecting primary school to provide outdoor forest school sessions where students can learn about the life cycles of the wildlife that the garden homes, and the practical skills that are necessary within the agricultural profession.

We spoke to Hannah Whitehall, Head Teacher at Halsned Primary School, and she expressed that the garden ‘really does align with our curriculum and will be vital in teaching the children all about nature and practical skills. I hope that the allotment will provide a place for families to come and be supported with the fresh produce that will be on offer through the launch of the social supermarket.’

The Next step for the allotment garden is that will be used as a learning hub for a variety of different courses including floristry, food hygiene and health and safety. This will hopefully equip local teenagers with transferable skills that they can take with them into the working world, giving them the best chance for success.

On this occasion, we were fortunate enough to be joined by Graham Morgan, the leader of Knowsley Council, for this occasion who said ‘I would like to give a big thank you to NGE as well as Tina, Denise, and Terry for all the fantastic work that they have done for the community. I hope that more people take the time to come down and get involved.’

We would like to thank?Knowsley Council?for allowing us to be a part of this initiative, as it is all for a fantastic cause that is going to bring together the local community. It was also to meet some of the amazing people who have made this Garden a great success!