Hard-working Dumfries Academy pupils have turned dozens of old wheelie bins into planters as they dig deep to help create a new community garden.
The teenagers have been reusing and recycling as they play an important part in work to transform a neglected area behind 111 High Street – home to Flourish and Lolliography – into a thriving green space.
They have been digging, growing seeds, converting the bins and more as part of their SQA National 4 Rural Skills course, supporting an alliance of organisations working on the project to benefit the community.
Midsteeple Quarter, the community benefit society which owns the building, has brought a taskforce together to carry out the work after securing a grant from The National Lottery Awards For All Scotland.
Stephen Mohan, who teaches Rural Skills at Dumfries Academy, is also the volunteer project coordinator for the garden.
Thanks to Janice Ireland, Ross Williamson and the team from Dumfries & Galloway Council’s waste department at Cargen Tower, the pupils were given about 60 old bins to recycle as planters.
They were delivered to the school, cut under the supervision of craft and design teacher Mr Drennan, who is also depute head, before being drilled and cleaned using a borrowed pressure washer under the supervision of Lieutenant Gary Flett, of the Army Cadet Force, who works at the school Tuesdays to Thursdays and helps support the class.
The top part of each was turned into small compost bins so nothing was wasted.
Some of these bins were delivered to the garden site by Aldo Marletta, of the Men’s Shed at Larchfield.
The pupils then filled them with loose rocks, stones and topped them with soil to get ready for planting this spring.
Seeds and cuttings have been grown in school over winter to prepare for transplanting when the weather gets warmer.
The Rural Skills class is part of the alternative curriculum at Dumfries Academy which helps prepare young people for employment.
Mr Mohan said: “This was a very enjoyable practical example of teamwork, including the support of David Leadbetter from the Careers Service who worked with the class every Wednesday, which helped with motivation and confidence.
“The pupils took great pride in the difference that they made in transforming a derelict space into a future garden using recycled materials and in helping improve a neglected area of Dumfries town centre.”
Kathryn Hill, Midsteeple Quarter’s Community Engagement Activator, is overseeing the garden project.
She said: “The pupils have done an impressive job. We’re really grateful for all of their efforts and hope the opportunity and experience has been useful for them too. It’s great to see the garden coming together.”
As well as the Academy, council and Dumfries Men’s Shed, the other project partners are Lolliography, The Guild Dumfries CIC, Catherine Street Inclusive Play Park, Oasis Youth Centre and The People’s Project.
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