We are delighted to see our funding and resources are helping Jennie Lyall and Hāwea Flat school to re-start their vegetable garden area and nursery area that will grow vegetables to supply their classroom programmes and provide excess produce to their community via local community pantries.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself?
I am a teacher at Hāwea Flat school, teaching our Year 3 students and leading our whole school Enviroschools Programme. I am passionate about our local environment, native birds, and have studied Ecology at University.
2. What are you doing?
Hāwea Flat school has recently undergone major development due to roll growth and as such our previous school vegetable gardens had to be relocated. The Grant has enabled us to re-start our vegetable garden area and also expand to include a nursery for growing native plant seedlings that we hope to use in local native planting projects, as koha for our Year 6 leavers and visitors to the school.
3. What inspired you to do what you’re doing?
The development of our school, my love for the outdoors and gardening, my wish to further my own learning of vegetable gardening, the opportunity for our students to further their learning and to give back to their local community.
4. Why did you choose to focus on this topic?
It was a need we identified within our school - it fits in with a number of our programmes and with the values of our community.
5. What made you decide to apply for an HealthCarePlus Grant for Good? (where did you hear about it)
I received an email from HealthCarePlus and the timing was perfect as we were just starting to think about our Enviroschools programme.
6. How was your experience in Appling for the grant?
Really straightforward, easy process - I was also lucky to have the support of our local enviroschools coordinator.
7. How has funding from HealthCarePlus helped?
The funding has enabled us to purchase the materials needed to rebuild our vegetable gardens and expand to include plant propagation tables etc. It has meant we could purchase more robust materials to make our garden beds, so that they last for many years.
8. What does this grant mean to you?
It means that we will be able to have a vegetable garden programme at our school for many years to come and this in turn will also allow us to continue to be part of the Garden to Table programme.
9. What would you say to others considering but hesitant in applying for a grant?
Don't hesitate - give it a go! The team are really supportive and will answer all your questions!
10. What advice would you give to future Grants for Good applicants?
Take the time to write your application and ask trusted people to support you with it - if you are able, find someone else that has filled in grant applications before and ask for their advice, or to look over your draft.
11. What are you hoping to achieve?
An on-going gardening programme that allows connection with our local community and teaches our students how to care for our local environment.
12. In what way will your course help make a positive impact on others?
It will impact the learning of our students, teaching them about the world around them and vital skills for growing their own food. We hope it will provide food for our local community via local food donation stalls. We hope to use the native plants that we grow in local planting projects, regenerating areas of native bush.
If you are interested and want to know more this year's Grants for Good and how to apply for one then click below.
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