Composting skills win £300 prizes for schools

Two South Holland schools won £300 of gardening vouchers after impressing in a composting challenge.

It was part of a project Anglian Water’s Keep It Clear programme has been running with Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service (LCVS) called Fat of the Land.
The aim was to grow awareness of the problems caused by food waste, fats, oils and grease blocking sewer pipes.

Each of the 12 groups that took part received a HOTBIN composting bin for their growing projects and a total of 600 giant pumpkin seeds.

St Bartholomew’s Primary School, in West Pinchbeck, won the best growing project in a school.

St John’s Primary School in Spalding (pictured) won the prize for the biggest school pumpkin at 39 inches (1 metre) in circumference.
The school’s Katy Llewellyn said: “We had a crop of at least 15 pumpkins in our pumpkin patch – the children were so proud.”

Collette Parker, community engagement manager for Anglian Water, said: “We were overwhelmed by the extent to which the groups taking part took up the challenge. Their efforts to recycle food waste, including fats, oils and grease using the HOTBIN, were inspiring.”

David Fannin, LCVS chief executive, said: “We are proud to support Anglian Water to spread the Keep It Clear message.

“Fat of the Land was a great project with wide-ranging benefits to the communities we work with. We were delighted it was so well received.”