Welsh Water and Morrisons Water Services support School's Sustainable Garden Project in Flintshire
Welsh Water has collaborated with Morrisons Water Services, to supply Elfed High school, in Flintshire with materials for use in their sustainable garden project.
The school’s garden project led by the school's youth worker Miss Gillian Smith and teaching assistant Mrs Julie Bennett aims is to provide a safe space for students to demonstrate their skills outside the classroom and to promote wellbeing. The students also learn about sustainability with students learning to grow their own fruit and veg such as tomatoes, carrots cucumbers, strawberries.
Welsh Water received the unusual request from school youth worker Gillian Smith for a donation of off-cuts of water piping - to support their gardening project and to help with their environmental aims of using recycled materials.
The request was forwarded to Welsh Water’s Network Alliance Project Manager Jonathan Davies who contacted contractor partner, Morrisons Water Service’s Delivery Manager Greg Phillips to see if they could help.
It took a few weeks to arrange and today, (Friday 5 May) Morrisons Water Services Manager, Alwyn Lane has delivered about twenty-five metres of surplus piping to the school (Friday 5 May), to an excited group of students.
Miss Julie Bennett, Teaching Assistant at Elfed High School said: “Our garden project started in 2022 but unfortunately for us the birds got to the crops before we did. The kind donation of plastic piping will allow the students to build a crop protection frame to hold nets into place to stop the birds from eating the fruit they have grown.
“The idea was originally seen on an allotment blog where people had used recycled piping to build their frame. The students are hoping to implement the fruit nets within the next two weeks.”
Greg Phillips, Morrisons Water Service’s Delivery Manager said: “We were delighted to be able to donate some of our surplus off cuts of water piping, which normally gets sent for recycling. Giving it directly to the school to recycle and use in their sustainable garden project has more environmental benefits and so glad the students get so much from the project.”
Elfed High School’s long-term aim of the garden project is to grow enough food for the students to take home or share within the community. Students not only learn to grow their own food they have lessons on how to prepare and cook the food, furthering their skillset.
The garden project is for all students but also is offered as a gardening intervention to students who find it difficult in the classroom environment and need to improve their wellbeing. The project aims to give students a chance to look forward to making time for nature and enjoy the environment. Since starting the project, it has gone from strength to strength, with many more students wanting to participate.
Jonathan Davies, Welsh Water’s Network Alliance Project Manager said: “Welsh Water are pleased to be able to work with our partners, Morrisons Water Services to be able to support Elfed High School in its Garden Project and promote environmental sustainability within the community.”