ODS helps Larkrise Primary School’s budding young gardeners
The ODS Parks team put their skills to excellent use recently when they supplied an expert crew to build a brand new 20 foot polytunnel for Oxford’s Larkrise Primary School.
ODS eagerly lent a hand, with a three-strong team building the polytunnel which is a key part of Larkrise’s objective of being a sustainable school and growing food onsite.
The polytunnel was funded by the school’s Friends of Larkrise, Parent Teacher Association, but the school found it very difficult to source the necessary skills needed to assemble it. ODS stepped in with an experienced and willing team who were able to oversee the construction project in time for this year’s growing season.
Rachel Forsyth, School Business Manager at Larkrise Primary School, said: “The whole Larkrise Primary School community would like to say a huge thank you to ODS for supporting us with our outdoor learning by supplying a team of people to erect our brand new school polytunnel. The polytunnel forms a crucial part of our overall objective of being sustainable and growing food on site.
ODS’s contribution has had a huge impact in terms of adding a key element to this project and means that we can maximise the success of our growing in the existing raised beds.”
The polytunnel will be used by the primary school children to grow plants from seed which will then be transplanted into their raised beds, and it will provide an area for plants that need to grow in a more protected environment. The young gardeners will learn about the life cycle of plants and how food is grown as part of their wider understanding of food production. They will then get to eat the food that they have grown.
Maria Warner, Social Value and Sustainability Lead, said: “ODS was absolutely delighted to be able to lend a hand to Larkrise Primary School. As a business, we are committed to supporting not only our local community, but the wider environment. We therefore jumped at the opportunity to lend a hand to Larkrise Primary School and support the gardeners of the future. We wish them many happy years of outdoor learning and look forward to supporting Larkrise Primary School with its sustainability and environmental commitments again in the future.”
Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies, said: “This is another great example of ODS doing good in the community and it follows hot on the heels of the company delivering 30 tonnes of garden-waste generated compost to 23 allotments across the city last month. I look forward to ODS participating in future collaborations with local schools and other community organisations.”
Rachel Forsyth, Larkrise Primary School, continued: “We hope this will lead to future collaborations with ODS, such as projects around what happens to food waste and other waste when we need to dispose of it. We currently dispose of our kitchen and food waste through ODS and are keen for the children to understand this process and the importance of sustainable approaches to waste management.
Thank you ODS for being a part of our children’s learning in this very practical and generous way.”
