St Edward’s Royal Free Ecumenical Middle School, Windsor, has been
presented with a state-of-the-art Patio Glasshouse from Hartley Botanic,
following its participation in the Royal Horticultural Society’s annual ‘Get your
Grown-ups Growing’ event.
A thousand schools across the country took part in the 2010 event, all of
which were entered into a free prize draw to win the £900 Hartley Patio
Glasshouse. St Edward’s Royal Free Ecumenical Middle School was chosen
as the lucky winner. Staff and pupils were given with their prize during a
presentation on 7th July 2011, by Hartley Botanic’s Managing Director, Johnny
Mobasher, and RHS Strategic Schools Manager, Jacky Chave.
The Get Your Grown-ups Growing event forms part of the charity’s wider
Campaign for School Gardening, supported by Waitrose, which encourages
schools to create gardens, teach the skills of growing and in turn enable their
pupils to learn outside the classroom. Each October schools are asked to hold
a Get Your Grown-ups Growing event so they can benefit from the help and
support of parents and the wider community.
St Edward’s Royal Free Ecumenical Middle School has been a member of the
RHS Campaign since November 2007 and its event in October attracted six
grown-ups, who helped to plant daffodil and grape hyacinth bulbs in the shape
of a “25” to celebrate the school’s 25th anniversary of being an Ecumenical
school.
Amanda Bird, Assistant Head Teacher at St Edward’s Royal Free Ecumenical
Middle School, explains further. “Our school is fanatical about gardening and
by joining the RHS campaign it has helped us to harness our love of growing.”
“Taking part in the Get Your Grown-ups Growing event last October was
great fun, and the fantastic support we have from parents on this and other
gardening activities proves that green fingers are contagious,” she said. “We
already have a greenhouse which has been well used by our Gardening Club,
but this glistening new glasshouse from Hartley Botanic will mean that even
more of our pupils will be able to join in and get growing.”
Johnny Mobasher, Managing Director, Hartley Botanic, said; “We have
supported the RHS’s Get Your Grown-Ups Growing event for two years and
as such are thrilled to be playing a part in bringing more children, and adults
for that matter, into contact with gardens and gardening. The Hartley Botanic
Patio Glasshouse is engineered to allow light in from all directions, optimising
growing conditions and as such providing the best results for the children; a
prize we hope the school will really enjoy using.”
The RHS Campaign for School Gardening was launched in 2007, and now
has more than 13,500 schools signed up – meaning that more than 3 million
children in the UK are benefiting from learning to garden at school. For
more information on the campaign and Get Your Grown-ups Growing, visit
www.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening
-Ends-
Notes to Editors
For media enquires please contact RHS Press Office, Georgie Webb, 020 7821 3126,
[email protected] or Ed Horne, 0207 821 3356, [email protected]
High resolution images available, please contact the press office on the above.
For more information on Harley Botanic contact 01457 821 952 or visit www.hartley-
botanic.co.uk
About the Campaign for School Gardening
The RHS has actively involved more than 13,500 schools across the UK in growing and
gardening through the RHS Campaign for School Gardening which is supported by Waitrose.
Children are taught about plants and gardening and their environment. Through gardening
they learn about healthy fruit and vegetables, wildlife, and important life skills such as
teamwork, social skills and co-operation. Huge benefits are to be had from using an outdoor
classroom where children can learn in a fun, engaging way. Information, lesson plans and
advice for schools is provided online and is backed up by support from the RHS education
team and Campaign for School Gardening Regional Advisors.
About the RHS
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s foremost gardening charity, helping and inspiring
millions of people to garden. We do this at our gardens and shows and through our scientific
research, publications, libraries and our education and community programmes. We are
entirely funded by our members, visitors and supporters.
RHS membership is for anyone with an interest in gardening. Support the RHS and
secure a healthy future for gardening. For more information call: 0845 130 4646, or visit
www.rhs.org.uk
RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262
About Waitrose
Waitrose is delighted to sponsor the RHS Campaign for School Gardening. It presents an
exciting opportunity for Waitrose to share its knowledge with young people and help them
to have a better understanding of where their food comes from as well as addressing health
issues associated with poor diet. This Campaign is a wonderful hands-on initiative for children
to gain a real ‘field to fork’ experience.
• Waitrose has 198 branches dedicated to offering quality fresh food, value and customer
service.
• Waitrose has recently come top in a Customer Service survey conducted by Which?, and
has been voted as Top Grocer by Verdict.