Lottery Grant for Community Garden at Grace Academy

Grace Academy Solihull has been awarded £9,967 from The Big Lottery Fund to create a community garden for students and local residents to enjoy.

Grace Academy students will help to develop the garden in partnership with Gro-Organic, an organisation which helps community groups to make greener spaces in their communities.

The idea behind the garden, which is due to be completed by the Spring 2015, is to regenerate a plot of land in school grounds to make an outdoor learning centre for young people.

Sarah Gill from Gro-Organic explained:

“We want to encourage young people to care about the environment and also develop some transferable skills to help improve their employment opportunities.

“We have found that some young people find it hard to make the transition from school to employment due to a lack of practical skills, so this garden should help students to get some work experience and make a positive contribution to their community.

“Students over the age of 14, as well as local Chelmsley Wood residents, will have the opportunity to gain a Level 1 Open College Network qualification in employability skills.”

As well as providing training opportunities, the garden will be used to grow seasonal flowers, herbs, shrubs and fruit trees, which can then be sold to local residents, and provides a space and opportunity the students wouldn’t otherwise be able to access.

Laura Wadley, Youth and Community Coordinator, Grace Academy Solihull, added:

“This is an amazing opportunity we wouldn’t have had before. It’s going to provide a breathing space for students, a learning environment, and it’s also a fantastic opportunity for us to allow others in the community to come into Grace Academy and take part in trying something new.”