CALLING ALL GARDENERS: GREEN FINGERED VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO ENTHUSE NORTH WALSHAM’S STUDENT GARDENERS

7th Feb 2016

Guerrilla Gardening NWHS teacher Simon Weal Marion Lane of North Walsham in Bloom and Ben Youngs of North Walsham Gard

Green-fingered volunteers are being sought by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to take part in a new joint initiative with North Walsham High School, to encourage young people to get gardening.

Keen amateur gardeners are being invited to come forward to help run a weekly gardening club for students at the school, with the aim of showing young people that gardening is a life skill that can help them lead fulfilling lives – and even inspiring them to pursue a career in horticulture.

The volunteer gardeners will help out at a weekly after-school club on a Wednesday afternoon, which is being run by teacher Sally Wright and North Walsham’s own ‘guerilla gardener’, NWHS staff member Simon Weal.

“Secondary schools rarely offer horticulture as a subject, and few offer it as an extracurricular activity, due to lack of time or knowledge,” said the RHS’s Alison Findlay. “We want to address this by supporting schools to run growing projects with the help of skilled volunteers.

“We will provide training for the volunteers in working with young people, and exciting growing projects to engage them with, as well as seeds, plants and resources to get the projects going. We will also provide a free uniform and boots, as well as travel expenses – as well as free RHS show tickets for Hampton Court or Tatton.”

Volunteers need to be knowledgeable gardeners, as well as enthusiastic about working with young people. They will be asked to attend the school’s gardening club regularly as part of a team. Volunteers will be required to undertake a DBS check before working in the school.

“We are really excited about being part of this initiative from the RHS,” said Sally Wright. “With the support of that prestigious organisation, and with local gardeners giving us the benefit of their experience and expertise, we are hoping to help our students catch the gardening bug, and give them a love of gardening which will hopefully stay with them for a lifetime.”

For further information about becoming an RHS volunteer at North Walsham High School, please contact Alison Findlay on 07738 883664, or via email at alisonfindlay@rhs.org.uk.