Pupils sowing seeds of hope at Oak Hill CoE Primary

As part of the Big Seed Sow, pupils from a Church of England school in Tewkesbury have been planting sunflowers to show support for the people of Ukraine.

The Big Seed Sow is a simple national scheme initiated by the Royal Horticultural Society to encourage people of all ages and experience to share the joy of sowing seeds and connecting with one another.

Oak Hill CoE Primary School in Alderton, Tewkesbury, decided to join in with the initiative to support some of its pupils and brought in the services of Eleanor from Hope Springs Gardening, a social and therapeutic horticulture practitioner. Eleanor uses gardening to support people of all ages dealing with mental health issues, particularly those experiencing grief.

Adam Greaves, Headteacher, says, “To celebrate the Big Seed Sow, Eleanor has been working with a therapeutic group at Oak Hill, sowing sunflowers with a very special purpose.

“Sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine. We are really proud to be showing our solidarity and support through this project as one of our group members is from Ukraine.”

Eleanor says, “Later in the summer, we plan to plant out our seedlings along the main path of the school entrance against the new car park railings. We are going to get some Ukraine flags to display alongside them too. We are excited to share our support with the local community this way and to grow something beautiful and cheerful for them to enjoy as well as attracting bees and butterflies to the school garden. Win win!”

People can get involved in the RHS Big Seed Sow however they like, big or small. You might want to hold a seed-swapping event or mass seed sowing to share knowledge and resources, or reach out to new audiences through your worshipping community or school.