A PICKERING project is encouraging students to engage their green fingers.

Ryedale Out Of School Education (ROOSE) has received an allotment space from the Pickering Town Council to develop an outdoor space for their students.

Growing vegetables, flowers and developing ecological projects, the Pickering educational facility is now looking for volunteers and donations of, among other things, plants, seeds and a storage shed.

“We are looking forward to using this valuable outdoor space, with all students attending ROOSE, from the early spring to grow vegetables, wildflowers and develop ecological projects such as cultivating a wildflower meadow,” said Kathy Robson, who is the deputy head at ROOSE.

“In order to make the project a success, we need to raise funds to establish and maintain the garden.

“We hope to obtain resources by fundraising, but we are also looking to the local community to support us by making a donation or volunteering their time.”

ROOSE offers education to young people in Ryedale who are not able to access mainstream school, due to a variety of reasons.

“The allotment is the perfect place for a practical learning environment, whether it’s teaching food technology by cooking our produce, science lessons on the ecology of bees in our wildflower meadows, or business skills by potentially selling produce,” said Kathy.

“Some of our students at ROOSE struggle with mainstream school, but this is an exciting development as it will enable students to be involved in outdoor activities, learn practical skills, promote environmental awareness and develop engagement in the community.”

A spokesman for Pickering Town Council said: “When the Community Park off Whitby Road was created in 2011, land was set aside for use as a community allotment garden and the council was approached earlier this year by Ryedale Out of School Education and the Infant School who want to use part of this garden, so that their pupils can access outdoor space and develop their practical skills.

“The council believes that there may be other voluntary and community groups who might benefit by working together to grow fruit and vegetables in this shared outdoor space and will support these groups by helping with initial maintenance of the garden.”

For more information about the project, email Kathy Robson at kathy.robson@northyorks.gov.uk or phone 01751 471549.