FORMER Blue Peter gardeners Chris Collins and Olivier Blanc, the son of renowned chef Raymond Blanc, have teamed up with a local junior school to help teach children about healthy living.
The duo helped unveil the UK’s first ‘Henri le Worm’ school garden at Haslucks Green Junior School – and the educational garden is already proving a hit with the children.
‘Henri Le Worm’ is a new scheme that aims to create a series of interactive children’s gardens in urban areas throughout the UK, intended to be used within local schools as part of a cross curricular approach to teaching.
The children themselves were involved in the construction of the garden, helping to move two tonnes of soil and compost and are now being encouraged to engage with food and nature by growing produce to be used in the school kitchens.
Olivier Blanc said: “I was blown away by what the children had created.
“It was colourful, engaging and bursting with flowers and growing veg which will supply the school kitchen.
“The garden was beautiful and they have raised the bar for other schools.”
There has been a huge number of children expressing an interest in helping to tend the area and the garden project is currently being incorporated into the curriculum – developing the pupils’ skills in areas such as maths, science and literacy.
