Peebles CAN grant gets more kids gardening and growing

Peebles High School pupils Jordan and Ethan with produce grown in Peebles CAN community garden.

Peebles CAN, a not-for-profit organisation working towards building community resilience and sustainability, has received £9,504 from Awards for All.

The group, set up in 2011, is using the money to bring youngsters from Peebles High School into its Kingsmeadows Road community garden to grow produce to share in the community, as well as starting up a weekly sharing hub there, where people can share their crafting and gardening skills with others.

Peebles CAN manager Amy Alcorn, said: “We will also be working with Tweeddale Youth Action to build raised beds in their garden on School Brae Road. We’ll then show them how to design their garden and grow fruit and vegetables in the space.

Youngsters make use of the Peebles CAN garden.

“We held a consultation with young people from the youth club to find out exactly how they’d like the money spent, and their ideas were a zen garden and a place to grow food that they could cook with in the youth club.”

High school pupils have already been busy harvesting apples and leeks in the garden to sell at the town’s farmers market.

“We’re enjoying strengthening our links with the school and youth club and we’re delighted to be working hand in hand with them,” Amy added. “Our ‘Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds’ project aims to get young people active in the garden and helping them feel more positive.”