Pupils from Birmingham begin gardening

As part of Rocket Gardens' Dig for the Future project, which encourages schools to get children growing organic vegetables and learning about the food they eat, Sodexo is providing schools in communities where it operates with seasonal fruit, vegetable and salad gardens. The Sodexo Foundation is sponsoring the company's partnership with Rocket Gardens as part of its STOP Hunger campaign which aims to tackle hunger, support good nutrition and promote life skills in local communities. Each nominated school will receive a year's supply of school gardens which includes a fruit garden, a spring/summer garden and an autumn/winter garden. Denise May, general manager at Birmingham Children's Hospital, was one of ten Sodexo employees who won a Rocket Garden through an internal competition, and last week joined the children at her chosen school, James Brindley, to help with the first delivery, a schools fruit garden which included a collection of fruit bushes, canes and plants. Hardip Bissell, head of sector at James Brindley School was delighted to receive the year's supply of school gardens. He said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for our children to be involved in a project that promotes healthy eating and gives them a hands-on experience at the same time." The school will receive a further two deliveries, a spring garden which will comprise a selection of baby plants including lettuces, spinach, carrots, leeks, tomatoes, runner and green beans, courgettes, cabbages and potatoes. The autumn garden which will be delivered in September will include more baby plants such as spring onions, pak choi, turnips, broccoli, broad beans to name just a few.