Stockton Community Garden Project is a volunteer-led after-school club, which was formed in 2010 by a group of older residents in Stockton.
Its purpose is to teach children up to the age of 11 the skills to grow their own vegetables and learn about the food they eat, whilst also providing a chance for different generations to mix.
The group meets every Tuesday at Stockton Primary School and operates on the school’s playing field, where their greenhouse is and they grow vegetables.
However, the greenhouse was sadly destroyed following heavy storms in February, and an online appeal was launched for donations from the community to fund a replacement. Around £1,000 was raised with a £400 shortfall obtained from The Wigley Community Fund to ensure they could purchase the greenhouse that met their needs.
Group member, Howard Collerson, said, ‘When the storm came, it blew one end of the greenhouse completely off so we were all devastated. We could have bought another greenhouse with the initial money raised but it wouldn’t have been as good and it would have been too small, so the Wigley grant was vital to us and will make a huge difference to the children.’