Learning about the benefits of planting and eating healthy local produce is important for young children. Winning prizes for themselves and their schools in the process makes these lessons even more fun.
Christmas came early for two Blackburn schools, St Mary’s & St Joseph’s R.C. Primary School, and Longshaw Community Infant School. They are the winners of the Gleeson Homes Farmers’ Market Competition.
Gleeson Homes invited children in Key Stage 1 and 2 in Blackburn-with-Darwin area, to participate in a competition to find a name and design a logo for a proposed new farmers’ market, which will be funded by a housing development on Broken Stone Road (subject to the granting of planning permission). The name and logo will be used for the proposed new farmers market that will be built on the outskirts of Blackburn, at Yew Tree Farm. The market will sell local produce from farmers and has its own attached allotments and community orchard.
Muhammed Bilal from Longshaw Community Infant School is the winner of the ‘name the market’ category with his entry ‘Famous Farmers’ Market’. Victoria Aniara, from St Mary’s & St Joseph’s R.C. Primary School, designed the winning logo.
Muhammed and Victoria each received a £50 voucher, and once planning permission is granted and the site is under construction, they will both plant their own tree in the orchard. Both winning schools received a £500 donation towards sport kit, and an invitation to visit the construction site where they will learn about sustainable construction methods and bury a time capsule.
The judging panel consisted of Kate Hollern, Member of Parliament for Blackburn, Councillor Julie Gunn, Deputy Leader Blackburn with Darwen Council and Amanda Parkinson, Gleeson Homes Marketing Director. Councillor Julie Gunn commented; “The standard of the entries was really high and there had clearly been a lot of thought gone into these designs and logos. It is great to see our children using their imagination to encourage us all to explore the benefits of learning more about the food that we eat and where it comes from. Congratulations to the winners.”
, Gleeson Homes Regional Managing Director “Blackburn is famous as a historic market town, and we want to build on that tradition. We are proposing a farmers’ market that will provide a space for local produce sellers to sell their goods to new and existing residents of the area. The allotments and community orchard will also provide a space for locals to grow their own food. Knowing how to grow your own food, as well as where your food comes from, is becoming increasingly important and we hope that this development will enable people to live sustainably in their community”.
To find out more about the areas in which Gleeson builds and information on the work Gleeson does in the community please visit www.gleesonhomes.co.uk
