The Weald School Initiative
As we told members at the AGM on Tuesday, the VPA have started a new initiative this year, trying to get more youngsters more involved with things gardening and veg growing. At last year’s Summer Show we had the new Head of the Weald School, Rachel Jacob, with us presenting the trophies. Rachel then stressed how keen she is to re-establish the Gardening Clubat the school, and the VPA have offered initial help and ongoing support in this. From that we hope to create some budding new gardeners, and along the way to get more involvement in the Show from the younger age group. Very importantly, there is a member of staff in the Weald who is keen to take on the task of motivating the children and running this Gardening Club.
Our first task is to rebuild the raised beds and the veg patch that used to be there. So we have an immediate and urgent need for scaffold boards – new or used, 3’ or 10’ in length. We have some already donated by parents, and the Friends of the Weald are putting up £100 to buy some. We still need more. If any VPA members can donate some, or donate funds to buy some, or have an idea where we can source some (cheaply or at no cost!), we would be most grateful. If you can help in any way, please reply to Kate and this email, or contact our organiser Sarah Jackson direct, on
In due course, we will also be looking for plants and/or seeds, and again will be pleased to have help from VPA members. Those of us who grow from seed at home very often end up having a surplus of seedlings that we do not plant on but throw away: please this year throw them in our direction for the school!
Via occasional emails such as this, and via the pages of the Weald’s own newsletters, we will keep you up to date with our progress. We will support the Club with physical help, with advice and moral support, and most likely with some funding too. And if any members would like to join our team on an occasional or even a one-off basis, again please do get in touch. We see this as an exciting advance by the VPA, and the School, and we hope it will work. Please help us to ensure that it does. Thank you!
John Thom, VPA Chairman