Green-fingered students bring the garden to Fordbridge

A team of green-fingered students from Grace Academy has lent a helping hand to empty, clean and fill the community planters at Crabtree Hall in Fordbridge.

Twelve students from Years 7 and 8 put on their gardening gloves and got to grips with forks and trowels to plant herbs and flowers in a bid to brighten up the area for local residents.

The project was organised by the Community Action in Fordbridge group (CAFE) and supported by the Neighbourhood Coordinator for Solihull Council, Phil Farrington-Lloyd.

John Donaldson, the Chairman of CAFE which is a group of residents and service providers who meet together to help improve life in Fordbridge, said:

“It’s always good to have the students helping out to give them a sense of responsibility and realise we need to do things for each other.  We shouldn’t just wander the streets; we need to make them our own.  The earlier we can get young people involved in the community the better because it’s not just about adults.”

Local primary schools have produced some acrylic paintings that will be screwed onto the newly filled planters after they have been displayed in Crabtree Hall for a Queen’s 90^th birthday tea party celebration on 11 June.

Local resident Gladys Pow, who saw the gardening in progress, said how nice it was that local school children were filling up the planters to make them look good, and one of the student helpers, Casey Gardiner in Year 8, commented:

“It has been good to help the community. The planters were filled with cigarette ends before we cleaned them out, but they look really nice now.  I’ve also learned how to use the gardening tools to turn over the soil and plant different things without worrying that they will collapse.”

Neighbourhood coordinator Phil Farrington-Lloyd, who oversaw the planting on the day, added:

“This is a fantastic opportunity for students to get involved in giving something back to the community, and we are really pleased Grace Academy Solihull volunteered to step in and help smarten up the area and increase its vibrancy.

“The planters were donated by Solihull Council and need on-going maintenance.  Grace Academy agreed to fill them with plants and students from Fordbridge Academy will help to maintain them for us.”

Fiona Hughes, Chief of Operations for Solihull Community Housing said:

“I would like to pass on our thanks to the students who carried out the planting. The planters look wonderful now and really brighten up the area for local residents and make the outside of Crabtree Hall look colourful and inviting. It is good to see young people helping to improve their local area.”