Staff and students at Edge Hill University worked with Liverpool schoolchildren to grow their own fruit and veg which they then sold to raise money for charity.
Hazel Flight, programme lead for BSc Nutrition and Health, managed the project in Liverpool, going into inner-city schools with her students to help the children set up planters and veg patches.
They led educational sessions on nutrition and shared tips on how to sell their produce – they got the chance to do so in Liverpool ONE this week.
Proceeds from the Young Marketeers event, run by charity School Food Matters, will go to FareShare Merseyside which redistributes food to vulnerable people.
Hazel said: “This has been a brilliant project to be involved with, the first time it’s been run in the area.
“I’m really passionate about educating children on sustainable food production and teaching them the benefits of nutritious food like fruit and veg. If you can provide them with that knowledge at a young age, like these 7 and 8-year-olds, you set them up for life.
“After years of Covid, for them to be able to get out into the community and interact with the public like this, has been a wonderful opportunity. It was a joy to teach them how to be entrepreneurs. They have gained so much confidence from the project.”
Orlagh Murray, a second-year Nutrition and Health student, added: “We went into the schools to help the children make space to grow their plants, creating planters and helping them look after the plots.
“We enjoyed showing them where their food comes from and they’ve learned so much about nutrition and different types of food.”
Her classmates Sian Johnston and Heather Warnes also took part, joined by Maths Education student Joe Flight on the day.
Dozens of enterprising children from four Liverpool schools – St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School, St Sebastian’s Catholic Primary School, St Hugh’s Catholic Primary School and The Beacon CE Primary School – sold potatoes, carrots, chard, herbs and raspberries, putting their marketing training into practice.
Anna Rogan, Year 3 teacher at St Vincent de Paul School said: “The children have learned more about where their food comes from, especially nutritious food like fruit and vegetables, and the adults have learned along with them.
“The children have developed their social and communication skills as well as their confidence. They’re passionate about giving something back to the community, so knowing that they’re helping people who don’t have much has really meant a lot to them.”
One pupil, Rina, said “I’ve really enjoyed watching the plants grow”, and Annabelle added “this has helped us give food to people who don’t have much”.
School Food Matters teaches children about food through a range of engaging school projects and works to improve children’s access to healthy, sustainable meals during their time at school.
July 14, 2022
