Army kids get place to grow calm

Published on Thursday 18 June 2009 10:34

WHILE their military mums or dads are in Afghanistan, children in Edinburgh can have a worrying wait on their hands.

But many of the youngsters will soon have their own tranquil garden in which to settle their nerves, thanks to a new scheme at Colinton Primary School.

The Room to Grow project is so groundbreaking that it is even to feature on BBC1's The Beechgrove Garden TV series.

The school, in Redford Place, is close to Dreghorn Barracks and around 90 per cent of its pupils are from military families. Staff are used to coping with the unsettling effect of a high turnover of pupils as families move in and out of the area, and with a new deployment to Afghanistan due to start in the autumn, are readying for new disruption in the youngsters' lives.

Before then, however, families can look forward to a summer spent together helping to create the garden where the children will be able to play and study.

Deputy headteacher Leanne Sharpe said: "When new kids come in the transition for them is incredibly difficult, so we wanted an area that we could enable new children to come and work with their parents.

"We're going to have different zones – a play zone, a pond, and it'll be educational. We also want to have a quiet, peaceful area that gives time for reflection.

"It might be that your dad's away and you're really sad, but you can sit here quietly and maybe enjoy the sunshine. The concept of the whole project is to support the children."

Contractor Carillion, which is carrying out flood prevention works on the nearby Braid Burn, has already helped flatten the derelict plot next to the school.

The firm's Stuart Mackay said: "The outdoor classroom is a really good idea to try and get the kids outside during the good weather. When the guys on site heard about the opportunity to develop it they were really keen on getting involved and they've put a lot of their own time into the project."

Most of the work will be carried out during the summer holidays by teachers, parents, pupils and community volunteers. The final touches will be saved for the visit of the film crew from The Beechgrove Garden, which will take place from 1-3 September.

With the garden also due to contain a stage, it is hoped that a mini-Tattoo can be held as part of the opening celebrations to highlight the school's military links.

David Bewsey is a member of the Colinton Amenity Association, which has donated 1,500 towards the garden. He said: "We're supporting this project financially and going to drum up some local help and support from the local community because I think this is a fantastic project, and they've done such an incredible job in pulling it together so far."

Mrs Sharpe needs donations of gardening equipment. Call her at the school on 0131-441 1946.