Budding young gardeners given boost after winning funding from North Tyneside Council
A pupil from Benton Dene Primary School has received a £500 boost for her Nature Garden project after winning North Tyneside Children’s Councils playground project.
Amber’s successful pitch to leaders at the Council showed off her exciting project for a nature garden in the school playground, where children will get the chance to plant flowers and vegetables and help them grow.
She was one of 22 members of the Children’s Council, made up of children aged between 5 and 12 who live in the borough, who pitched their proposals in a dragon’s den style event to mark the launch of the Council’s ‘year of the voice of the child’ celebrations.
Each of the pupils carried out their own peer market research, taking questionnaires into their schools to find out what other children at the school would like improved in their playground.
Ideas ranged from a friendship benches and mud kitchens through to Lego and gymnastic area and all were designed to improve the quality of play and socialising in local schools.
While Benton Dene’s project received the funding from the Young Mayors Fund, all of the other pupils are working alongside staff members to develop their ideas and bring them to life.
The winner Amber, is really proud of the impact she’s made on her school. She said: I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Katherine and the Council to complete this project. I hope in the future children of Benton Dene enjoy and expand the nature garden.”
A spokesperson for Benton Dene Primary School said: “It has been brilliant to see Amber and some of the children in school enjoying the new gardening area. We already have some potatoes that are beginning to grow.”
The fun event kickstarted a year of activities, events, and training at North Tyneside Council, as part of the ‘year of the voice of the child’. A 12-month calendar of events will celebrate the work that takes place across the authority to put children’s voice at the centre of everything they do.
From running youth-led events to increasing the involvement of children and young people in staff training, the year will be jam-packed with children’s involvement.
Dame Norma Redfearn DBE, Elected Mayor of North Tyneside, said: “I’ve always been extremely passionate about ensuring that children and young people have a voice and that their thoughts and ideas are heard.
“The dragons den event was the perfect way to launch a year that will truly celebrate the contribution of children and young people in North Tyneside. Amber, and the other fantastic pupils on the Children’s Council are a great example of the wonderful contribution that can be made in our borough when we empower young people to get involved in our services.
“North Tyneside is a place full of opportunities for everyone and by celebrating our existing work and starting a year long journey to strengthen how we plan and run our services, we want to make our borough an even greater place to grow up.”
More information on the Year of the Voice of the Child is available here.