St Mirren Community Garden
A community garden is being created in the grounds at St Mirren football club ... and it has a very special double goal.
The main aim is to help educate schoolchildren and it will also give fans a chill out area. The project is in the very early stages, but the site has already been cleared, a walking path has been created and bark laid.
The work is being carried out through a partnership involving drinks giant Diageo, Renfrewshire Council, The Malcom Group, William Crawford and Son builders, The William Tracey Group, Central Scotland Green Network, St Fergus’ and Glencoats primary schools and the club itself.
Gary Hocknull, who is community coach at Saints and is also the SFA’s development officer for Renfrewshire, said: “The work has been done by our partners and Ferguslie Park Garden Society.
“The aim is to create a remembrance area, with planted trees, where supporters can walk round. They will be able to buy ribbon from the club shop and tie it to the trees in memory of someone they have lost.
“There will also be a reading area where schoolchildren and supporters can chill out. We will eventually have plants and vegetables in the garden and it will attract birds. Children will be able to learn about nature and their environment in the garden and carry this work on in the IT suite.”
An allotment and a greenhouse will be built in the working garden at St Mirren Park and all Renfrewshire schools will be able to use the facility.
“In the New Year, we will send invitations out to all the schools to let them know they can use the garden,” added Gary.
“Glencoats Primary has been involved already through a project that gave the children the chance to say what they would like to see in the garden.
The club’s IT suite will help schoolkids investigate topics like pond life, ecology, insects, biology, bird life, plant life and growing vegetables and it is hoped the schools will take ownership and responsibility through a pupil council.
Copyright Paisley Daily Express
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