Arrive at most island primary schools at 3pm on a Friday and everyone has gone home for the weekend. But this is not the story for St John’s Primary School in Jersey. After hours, it is a hive of activity with more than 20 children planting, picking and eating an array of fruits and vegetables.

Thanks to the 100 Day Community Challenge , the school’s gardening club are transforming their outdoor space. They’re adding colourful water butts, more raised beds and redesigning an area outside the year six classroom. The plan is to add a new table and benches to the area, install some planters and create a ‘growing wall’, so the area is much more inviting for the children to work and play. 

The gardening club is run by parents and it all started with a simple honesty box. Since launching in the spring, the club has continued to grow and benefit the community.

Sarah Huelin, one of the parents behind the club, said:

‘After the honesty box successfully functioned for a time, the PTA thought it would be a really nice idea to create a gardening club. We wanted something the children could actually contribute to, whilst learning and having fun in an outdoor environment.’

The school playground is always open and the whole community has access to the honesty box. All the proceeds from the box go back to the PTA.