Pupils from Carreghofa Primary School in Llanymynech, Powys have recently been getting their hands dirty thanks to Sodexo, a leading provider of on-site service solutions.

Sodexo has joined forces with supplier of organic vegetable and herb plants, Rocket Gardens’ Dig for the Future project, which encourages schools to get children growing organic vegetables and learning about the food they eat.

As part of its STOP Hunger campaign, Sodexo is providing schools in communities where it operates with seasonal fruit, vegetable and salad gardens. The project sponsored by its own charity the Sodexo Foundation will provide nominated schools across the country with a year’s supply of school gardens which includes a fruit garden, a spring/summer garden and an autumn/winter garden.

Sodexo Defence provides a range of support services at military locations throughout the UK and Carreghofa
Primary School is being supported by the team from The Dale Barracks in Chester, led by services manager, Andy Gear. A greenhouse made from 1,500 recycled plastic bottles has also been built at the school with assistance from not only Sodexo’s own employees, but also from their military customers, 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh.

The school is just one of more than 25 schools across the UK already identified to receive one of the school gardens from Sodexo’s Defence business division.

Rachel Humphreys, headteacher at Carreghofa Primary School commented: “We are delighted to get involved with this project. The children were very excited by the arrival of the boxes and being able to plant. It is a great way of heightening their awareness of where our food comes from.”

Sodexo provided additional support in the form of Steve Medlicott, a contracts manager for Sodexo’s horticultural services business. Steve helped the children prepare the beds and plan the planting as well as constructing a mesh frame to ensure the plants are protected.

The school has received the first of three gardens, a spring garden which comprises a selection of baby plants including lettuces, spinach, carrots, leeks, tomatoes, runner and green beans, courgettes, cabbages and potatoes. The second, the autumn garden will be delivered in September and will include more baby plants such as spring onions, pak choi, turnips, broccoli, broad beans to name just a few. Then early next year the school will receive the final one, a seasonal fruit garden.

For more information, please visit www.sodexo-healthwise.co.uk.

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