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A new collaboration has begun between a Lurgan primary school and a leading organics firm to provide free peat-free compost for their allotment project.

The firm, Natural World Products (NWP), will be donating the compost to boost the St Francis’ Primary School’s thriving sustainable allotment programme.

Sharon McMaster (Horticulturist and Community Outreach Manager) has been providing some great ideas to help overcome some of the pitfalls the school has experienced in the past.

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Pupils and staff at St Francis PS in Lurgan with Sharon McMaster of organics firm Natural World Products (NWP). The firm will begin a collaborative working relationship to create a sustainable allotment programme with pupils at the school.

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SDLP Cllr Ciaran Toman has been facilitating the collaboration says this is someone who has exactly the knowledge the school needs to get this project embedded into the school curriculum.

Cllr Toman said: “Over the past number of years, I have been supporting St Francis PS and the allotment holders with donations of the peat free New Leaf Compost for the allotments from Natural World Products (NWP) however, this year I was delighted that my request went a step further to facilitate a collaborative working relationship between Sharon McMaster from NWP and the school.

Organics firm Natural World Products (NWP) is to collaborate with St Francis PS in Lurgan to create a sustainable allotment programme with pupils at the school. Pictured from left to right are Cllr Ciaran Toman, Sharon McMaster (Head of Community Outreach NWP), Marie Therese McDowell (Volunteer), Dwyer Coleman (Teacher and Forest School Leader)

“There is great excitement amongst the school that they have found someone with such great ideas in getting a sustainable programme in place to bring this school’s outdoor learning venue into a league of its own.”

“Working alongside people who have a great enthusiasm for growing with the likes of Sharon, teachers and students will be developing valuable skills that recognises the importance of teaching children to enjoy growing their own fruit and vegetables and eating healthily.”

Dwyer Coleman, teacher and forest school's leader at St Francis’ PS said: “Special thanks to Councillor Ciaran Toman and Sharon McMaster from New Leaf Compost, the company who turns our brown bin waste into fantastic peat-free compost. They visited last week with an amazing donation of Peat Free New Leaf Compost for our school allotment. Ciaran and New Leaf Compost have been really supportive of our outdoor programme in previous years. Sharon will be coming into school across the year to help us get a sustainable allotment programme up and running so our pupils can learn more about growing healthy food at home.”

Sharon McMaster, Natural World Products explains the firm recycles domestic brown bin waste to produce the peat free compost. They will be supporting the school with horticultural workshops to get the pupils out growing food in their allotments

Lurgan primary school's allotment project boosted by organics firm compost

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