Group to reap fruits of their labour
TOW LAW health champions got together this week to build a butterfly sanctuary and jump-start their growing project.Youngsters were at Tow Law Millennium Primary on Wednesday to build themselves a fruit and vegetable garden and butterfly haven as part of their ongoing healthy living kick.
Both projects have blossomed since the school started to teach healthy living to the pupils.
Lisa Jackson, headteacher at the school, said: ³We started off learning about healthy living in the classroom but it¹s really spiralled into a much bigger, hands-on project that the children are loving.
³It¹s all about eating good food, knowing where it comes from and making it accessible for them.
³We are also launching a ŒBig cook Little Cook¹ family learning group this term where parents can come in and work with the children on cooking healthy meals and getting lots of exercise.
³We want this generation to have better knowledge about food and it¹s going really well- the children love it.² Bruce Banks, who runs Tow Law Nurseries and Butterfly farm, volunteered his expertise to help the children build a habitat where Peacock, Red Admiral and other native butterflies can flourish without threat.
He said; ³The sanctuary will help the children experience the life cycle of butterflies that I have collected from places where they would otherwise have been killed off.
³The children will then be able to release them back into the wild.² Children and parents at the school have also set up a food cooperative selling high quality, low cost fruit, vegetable, eggs and potatoes to the community.
Gerardine O¹ Connor, development officer for children's¹ services with the Primary Care Trust, said: ³There is so much fast food in the town but this helps the children to choose fruit and vegetable instead of crisps and fizzy drinks.² If anybody would like to place an order with the school¹s food cooperative, telephone 01388730283.