We are pleased to announce the arrival of the Campaign for School Gardening Regional Advisor for East of England, Alison Findlay. Alison, from Suffolk, was the first appointed school gardening guru to take up the new role, where she will be working with around 200 hundred schools across the Eastern region, to help teachers teach children about growing plants and encourage a new generation of gardeners.
Alison's role is to encourage schools to sign up to the campaign and to support schools throughout the region in their gardening. Alison will be delivering twilight training in practical gardening skills to teachers, school support staff and parent helpers at a number of school venues in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk regions. Dates for Spring 2009 will be available in the new year.
Alison said: “I am very excited about my new role and I bring to it a love of gardening that began in childhood and blossomed after studying Botany at Sheffield University.
“Through my children at primary school, I have been involved in developing the school grounds for outdoor learning - creating a willow tunnel, planting wild flower meadows and growing vegetables in raised beds constructed by volunteers. The rewards for the children are great and ongoing – first hand experience of where food comes from, a fun and more stimulating play area, caring for the natural world and experiencing the seasons.”
Alison added: “I hope I can inspire teachers to get gardening! By equipping them with the gardening skills they need, their school grounds can be developed into a valuable teaching resource. Schools interested in receiving advice can contact Alison at schoolgardeningeast@rhs.org.uk