Edible Playgrounds rolled out to ten of Cardiff’s Primary Schools

Cardiff Council in partnership withenvironmental charity, Trees for Cities (TfC)willdeliver ten new Edible Playgrounds across the city during 2021/22.

The multi-award winning programme, transforms school grounds into vibrant outdoor fruit and vegetable gardens, which aim to get children excited about growing and eating healthy food, whilst providing valuable outdoor learning resources.

The schools selected for the first phase of the programme include; Grangetown Primary School, Meadowbank Primary School, Herbert Thompson Primary School, Ysgol Glan Morfa, Ysgol Pen y Pil, The Hollies School, Ysgol Bro Eirwg, Trowbridge Primary School, Greenway Primary School and Glan Yr Afon.

Trees for Cities are working closely with them to create bespoke playground designs, where food growing can be accessed across the entire school. Each project will typically include everything needed for the school to grow its own food successfully including raised beds, a greenhouse, compost, wormery and tool shed as well as an outdoor teaching space for an entire class.

Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry said: “In Cardiff, we are committed to promoting the use of outdoor space for learning and play for children. We also recognise the wealth of benefits that green space has on the health and wellbeing of our youngest citizens. This is part of our agenda for a “greener” Cardiff as well as encouraging healthier diets.

“We are excited to continue working with Trees for Cities to expand the programme for another three years to include up to a further 40 schools across the city. This supports us to deliver our Cardiff 2030 Vision and promote a range of air quality, tree planting and holistic greening schemes for the future.”

The first build has already been completed at Coed Glas Primary School and design work is underway in several other schools.

David Elliott, Chief Executive at Trees for Cities commented, “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Cardiff Council to design and deliver a range of exciting and inspiring food growing projects to Cardiff schools. This initiative will allow pupils to benefit from greener spaces in their playgrounds, access more outdoor lessons and understand in greater depth about where their food comes from.’

Cllr Merry added: “I am delighted that Cardiff Council and Trees for Cities are working in partnership, to successfully to promote green spaces across the Welsh capital. Children and young people have the right to live a healthy life, and this project further supports Cardiff’s ambition of becoming a UNICEF UK Child Friendly city, where the voices and views of children are at the heart of everything we do.”