School creating a garden for all

Work got underway on the piece of land at Outwood Academy Portland last week on the project aimed at inspiring students and involving local community groups.

Students along with a team from Explore Manufacturing, Laing O’Rourke, Expand and Darfoulds Nursery began planting 500 trees on the site.

There are also plans for ‘learning centre’ which can be used for meetings or picnics and phase two of the project will see a small wildlife play area for children to use.

Outwood Academy Portland students will maintain the garden and the school hopes that volunteers from the local community will also get involved.

The allotments will be available for each community group to maintain their own area and take away their own produce, said a spokesman for Outwood Academy Portland.

Explore Manufacturing are project managing as well as developing a nature area to incorporate a wildlife pond and wildlife habitats to encourage flora and fauna.

Darfoulds Nursery have donated more than 400 evergreen and deciduous trees for the rear of the site as well as fruit trees, while Laing O’Rourke are designing and manufacturing the outside seating area which will include a large table. They will also be providing 200 tonnes of gravel for the pathways.

Donations have also been received from Coun Josie Potts, Portland PTA, Wilkinsons and the Mohammad Ali Peace Garden Fund based in America.

The next phase of the project is to raise money for raised beds and more importantly, the two large polytunnels and the learning centre.

The school is already half way to raising the money needed to purchase of the polytunnels.