High school horticulture
Eyemouth Enhancement Group transformed a children's horticulture facility under threat of closure into an award-winning learning hub, thanks to volunteer efforts and a grant from Greencoat Drone Hill Wind Farm Community Fund.
In November 2019, Greencoat Drone Hill Wind Farm Community Fund made an award of £3,825 to Eyemouth Community Council’s “Eyemouth Enhancement Group” to install raised planting beds and purchase gardening tools to save an innovative horticulture facility at the local high school.
Eyemouth High School serves several community council areas including the four communities benefiting from the Drone Hill Wind Farm Community Fund. The horticulture facility (and associated teaching resource at the High School) were threatened with closure by the local Council, as neither are mandatory provisions in the curriculum. In response, pupils and residents volunteering in the ‘Eyemouth Enhancement Group (EEG)’ led a campaign which resulted in an agreement that EEG volunteers would operate and maintain the horticulture facility, whilst the council would retain and increase the teach
ing resource for school pupils, which they did.
Volunteers began to enable further groups (nurseries, Brownies/Guides, Cubs/Scouts) to participate in horticultural activities at the facility on an ad hoc basis, but the facility was under-utilised despite widespread interest in it. Paths into and around the facility enabled access by those with mobility issues/wheelchair users, but the flower beds were at ground level, making them largely unusable by those with mobility issues or using wheelchairs.
Thanks to the grant from the Drone Hill Fund, new raised beds were purchased and installed by twelve volunteers. Newly purchased tools enabled pupils and other local groups of young people to take part in a range of horticultural activities.
Whilst the pandemic unexpectedly delayed activities, the importance of outdoor learning became more apparent. Within four months of completing the site upgrade, EEG won the Beautiful Scotland “Young people” award 2021 for its work to bring the facility back into use for the benefit of local youngsters.
Large areas of previously unused ground are now well used, and a good quantity of fruit and vegetables was given out to local people. Several wheelchair users across various age groups have been able to fully take part in activities.
EEG has plans in place for seasonal programmes throughout the year in 2022, and the facility looks likely to be used for years to come.