Building Community Links Through Gardening
Rosewell Primary P7 pupils joined our gardening team at The Steading on Thursday 19 March, helping out with a range of seasonal jobs on a beautiful spring morning.
A New Community Link
Earlier this year in February, we were approached by Rosewell Primary School to ask whether their pupils could get involved in any activities at The Steading as part of building stronger community links within the village. It was a lovely idea, and one we were very pleased to support.
The school had originally asked whether the group might be able to assist with our Lunch Club, but as we already had sufficient volunteer support in place there, we looked at other ways the pupils could get involved. Gardening felt like a great fit, giving them the chance to spend time outdoors, take part in practical tasks and contribute to a space that is enjoyed by the wider community.
Helping in the Garden
When the P7 group arrived on Thursday morning, they got stuck in straight away. Led by our lead gardening volunteer Lynn Pillans, they began by digging over the vegetable patches to prepare the ground for the growing season ahead, and planted potatoes. They then moved onto sowing seeds for herbs in our polytunnel, making a real contribution to the ongoing work of our gardening team.
It was a productive morning, and a good opportunity for the pupils to take part in hands-on outdoor work while supporting a community space here in Rosewell. Activities like this are a positive way to strengthen links between local organisations and give young people the chance to feel involved in the life of the village.
Back Over the Coming Weeks
This was the first of what we expect will be several visits, with the group due to return over the next few Thursdays to do more in the garden. We’re very pleased to be able to welcome them and look forward to seeing their involvement continue over the coming weeks.
We were delighted to have the pupils and staff from Rosewell Primary with us, and we’d like to thank them for all their hard work. We hope they enjoyed their morning at The Steading and look forward to working together again soon.
Get Involved
If you’re interested in joining our volunteering team at The Steading, we’d love to hear from you. Our volunteers play an important role in helping us care for our outdoor spaces and support the wider work of the Trust. You can find out more on our Volunteering page, or take a look at our Outdoor Spaces page to see some of the areas our gardening team helps look after.
