Supermarket sponsors primary school gardening scheme
17:44 6th March 2009
Primary school children across the UK will soon be learning invaluable gardening skills thanks to a three-year sponsorship deal secured by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
Waitrose has agreed to sponsor the society's 'Campaign for School Gardening', which hopes to spread the gardening bug to 80 per cent of primary schools by the end of 2010.
The scheme will show youngsters how to care for the environment and eat healthily while learning how to grow their own fruit and vegetables, whether it be in a field, greenhouse or tiny window box.
Mark Price, Waitrose managing director, said that the "fantastic" scheme should help to tackle the growing problem of childhood obesity.
"Showing children where food comes from and helping them to enjoy vegetables and eat healthily is essential," he remarked.
Mr Price added that the company is "committed...to the health and wellbeing of our future generations".
The Growing Schools initiative recently produced a calendar-style year planner which provides tips on what to do in the garden each month and how to prepare simple foods using home-grown produce.
