Supermarket to sponsor school gardening campaign

16:32 17th March 2009

A supermarket chain is to sponsor a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) scheme to educate school children about gardening.

It is hoped that Waitrose's three-year sponsorship deal with the Campaign for School Gardening will encourage more children to take up gardening and learn skills that will see them grow healthy food in their own gardens and greenhouses.

The supermarket chain will help promote the RHS campaign by hosting a number of events that will focus on food, nutrition and education.

Child obesity has been a hot topic recently and Waitrose managing director Mark Price spoke of his hope that the campaign could help resolve the issue in the UK.

"Showing children where food comes from and helping them to enjoy vegetables and eat healthily is essential," he explained.

While gardening can provide cheap and healthy organic food, the physical activity involved in the various tasks required to look after a garden and greenhouse properly also help gardeners exercise.

The National Health Service advises that Brits incorporate around 30 minutes of moderate exercise into their lives each day.