Pupils from three primary schools took part in a gardening project where they designed and created their own eco gardens.

The three primary schools in Aspull – Our Lady's, St David's and Aspull Church – took part in a new project with FAWNS called Seedling Scholars Cultivating Curiosity.

FAWNS (Forum for Aspull, Whelley and New Springs) is an active resident and community group focused on improving the local environment, boosting well-being and bringing neighbours together.

Their primary community project is the FAWNS community allotment, located at the end of Crawford Street (behind Aspull Methodist Church) and they have now introduced a programme to get children interested in nature and gardening.

Pupils from Our Lady's RC Primary School, Aspull, with their garden design.

placeholder image — Pupils from Our Lady's RC Primary School, Aspull, with their garden design.

Through the programme, children learned about growing their own food, insects and about the environment they live in.

Neil West, FAWNS’ educational liaison officer, said: “We work with all the local schools and we try and engage them in projects that encourage being active in the community.

"We have the allotment so we invited the schools to get involved in more of an eco project and to think about a garden with an environmental message that would benefit the community in some way.”

On the last day of the programme, the children were presented with certificates and gardening books by ward councillor Chris Ready.

Pupils from St David Haigh & Aspull CE Primary School, with their garden design.

On the responses to the programme from the children, Neil said: “What they enjoyed the most about it was the opportunity to work together, to collaborate and share ideas.

“We didn’t tell them what to do, they came up with the ideas but they particularly responded to pollinators and the kind of threats that bees face, they were very concerned about that.”

Many of the eco gardens that the children created included solar powered devices, wetland habitats and ripe strawberries and tomatoes to provide food for people.

Overall, the project goal is to encourage children to love and respect nature and let their ideas flourish.

A Pupil from Aspull Church Primary School, with the school design.

Neil said: “It’s a chance to give children a voice and to feel like their ideas matter and are listened to by the council and adults.”

This month-long programme was a test to see if it could work in the future, which the team are keen to make happen for more schools in the local area.