Growing Children Project

The beginning wild flower patches sown with seed and planted with a few wildflower plants. Along the school fence so you can watch its progress.

Lavender and other herbs

The Growing Children Project
This has now grown to be a collaboration between :
Transition Tattenhall
Tattenhall Gardening Society
The Park School
The Tattenhall Allotment Association
Sandy Bears Nursery

Successful bids made by Transition Tattenhall (TT) and Tattenhall Allotment Association (TTA) to the Parish Council, funded two projects that focus on children and young people being given access to the experience of soil, sowing seeds, planting, growing, tending, and harvesting fruit, vegetables, and flowers.

As part of these initiatives it is expected that children will learn to better understand the links between nature and our lived world as well as the connection between growing and food. The excitement, inquisitiveness and exploration of the natural world through growing, forest school experiences, composting and pond dipping are expected to be provided over the development of these projects. We hope that as many children and their families as possible will benefit from involvement.

The overall Growing Children Project has three elements :

• TT in collaboration with the Park Primary school is developing access for planting and growing in the memorial garden and in the early years outdoor area, at the school. This project with the Park School is aimed at the children and the families of children at the school. It will contribute to the education and resilience of the children and therefore adults of the future decades, by building knowledge, experience, and better use of the natural environment.
• It will aim to connect to the development of Glebe Meadow as a unique nature site opposite the school with planned guided visits with flower and insect experts.
• The project will initially develop the Memorial garden and greenhouse already established within the school grounds, and planting areas in a number of locations in the school grounds. Children and staff will be involved in planning and timetabling planting or sowing seeds, and the management of the growing cycle. It is planned to grow vegetables, insect friendly flowers, and an apple tree. Establishing a composting process will help children understand the foundations of horticulture and growing. It will link in to a national project – National Education Nature Park Initiative, to map and monitor biodiversity across all school grounds in the UK.
• The Tattenhall Allotments Association, in collaboration with the Sandy Bears Nursery, will provide access for pre school children to a plot for play and growing experiences and where they will also have an allotted plot. TT in collaboration with TAA will tend a second plot for additional planting and growing edible garden produce for use with children.
• The third element of this children and young persons project will be the development of 'Forrest School' activities to be based at the TAA site when sufficient funds have been raised to complete a covered outdoor learning area alongside the newly installed greenhouse. In time it is hoped that work on the pond at the site will mean that further natural history and ecological learning activities can be developed.

Voluntary help and support are needed for the Growing Children Project.
These projects depend on volunteer workers to develop each element. The TAA will be supported by allotmenteers but we need a volunteer to give 2 hours a week in the growing season (March to October); flexible with others to support.

The Forest School plans will need a number of short and medium term volunteers, including fundraising and grant applications.
If you are interested in becoming involved in any of these projects please contact TranstionTattenhall@gmail.com.

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