Berrymede Wins Playground Money

To transform area into an 'edible playground'

Berrymede School in Acton has won funding to transform its playground into an 'Edible' one.

Edible Playgrounds, a programme led by Trees for Cities, aims to turn the school grounds into a functional food-growing space.

Berrymede is the first of 10 schools to receive support from the People’s Postcode Lottery Dream Fund, which has awarded £249,180 in funding.

The Edible Playground at Berrymede will have raised beds with herbs, salads, vegetables, fruit trees, an outdoor classroom, interpretation boards, composting facilities, irrigation and a greenhouse.

It's due to be constructed in the summer followed by lots of planting! Trees for Cities will provide a year of support to help the school use their new playground for year-round growing and teaching.

The pupils will enjoy hands-on cooking lessons from Chefs Adopt a School and have access to food education programmes outside the school gate via charity School Food Matter’s Membership for Schools. School Food Matters will also support Berrymede to achieve their first Food for Life Award.

Pupils at Berrymede are enthused by the project. A Year 5 pupil from the school said: “I’m really excited about all the new growing places in the school and all the vegetables and fruits we will have. But mostly I’m excited about eating them! We have already started planning and planting seeds”.

Sharon Johnson, Chief Executive of Trees for Cities said:

“With increasing concerns around food poverty and malnutrition, the next generation is in danger of losing touch with nature and not knowing why a healthy diet is important. Edible Playgrounds show children how rewarding it is to spend time outdoors and get them excited about where their food comes from. With 37 per cent of children between ages of 5 – 12 not eating enough every day and 20 per cent obese on leaving primary school, more and more schools are now educating their children on how food is grown and on making healthy eating choices”.

The Edible Playground complements recent improvements to the dining hall and will become an integral part of this initiative - helping to drive healthy eating and healthy living. Trees for Cities and Berrymede hope to inspire similar Edible Playgrounds projects in other schools in the area.

Lubna Khan, Head Teacher at Berrymede Junior School said:

“We strive to provide a rich and stimulating learning environment, where our children thrive and subsequently leave, as well equipped young citizens ready for the next phase of their lives. We include in our provision, knowledge and understanding about how well-being, good health and fitness underpin success. A significant element of this is healthy eating and knowledge about food and agriculture, even if it is on a small scale! This project has already initiated an excitement about planting, growing and a real appreciation of nature and its beauty”.

28th April 2015