"I have left something wonderful for St. Botolph's children to enjoy”

Year 6 pupil

Year 6 pupils at St. Botolph’s C of E Primary in Peterborough wanted to leave something behind for other children to enjoy when they moved up to secondary school, so they set about transforming a disused garden for their Young Leaders Award community project.

The garden is within the school playground but had been neglected for many years so the children felt that by renovating it, and planting flowers and vegetables, it would be a living gift for pupils in the younger years to enjoy and nurture in the future.

Pupils wrote letters to local businesses asking for contributions of soil and wood to create their own planters, as well as seeds and bulbs, and received a response from a local garden centre who kindly donated two seed shakers. The school’s Eco Council also asked the parents for contributions to the garden, and they received lots of wild flower seeds and bulbs to plant.

Through taking part in this social action project the children learnt how to clear and prepare the soil, plant seeds, water their plants and remove any weeds to maintain the garden throughout the year during all the different seasons. They also learnt about the importance of providing habitats to support different wildlife and how to work together and cooperate as a team. The children have grown in confidence and demonstrated their leadership skills by taking responsibility for the project and recognising the important role they can play in looking after the environment and helping others in the community to be more Eco friendly.

"Our garden is now a haven for birds, bees and countless other living things"

Year 6 pupil

These Young Leaders have learnt that small steps can make big changes to their community and the lives of others.

To find out more about the YLA, and to see how it could work in your context, visit abyyt.com/yla or contact our YLA team on PrimaryYLA@abyyt.com.