GREEN-fingered children can now grow their own herbs, fruit and vegetables at school, after a fundraising campaign and help from local businesses provided three new wooden planters.

Pupils at The Erme Primary School in Ivybridge were delighted at the arrival of the solid wood planters, in which they can grow food in line with their science syllabus. The school will now also be able to run a gardening club.

Parent teacher association the Friends of The Erme Primary School raised money for the planters, but the project was also well supported by local businesses. Huge thanks are offered to Richardsons Legal Services for purchasing one of the planters, and Mole Valley Farmers, which donated the soil to fill them along with a picnic table for the playground.

A small team of Friends volunteers filled the planters with soil, to get them ready for children to plant some strawberries.

Friends chairman Kay Winstone said: ’Now the kids can use this to learn about wildlife and how to grow food. I think it’s fantastic. It’s going to produce the next generation of gardeners.’

The committee is now focusing on the next project, to resurface and renovate the tarmac play area in Victoria Park. The group is fundraising hard to provide a new surface covering 240 square metres, play markings, robust, accessible play equipment, goals for football, netball, basketball, and fencing.

Having raised several thousand pounds through a series of events, the Friends are now hoping to win a grant of up to £10,000 through insurance company Aviva’s Community Fund. To support the bid, visit community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/16-1053 and follow the instructions to vote for the project.