Fresh veg from school allotment to soup kitchen

The project won this year’s ‘Excellence in Exeter Community Award’ competition for school based projects that have a direct benefit to the local community. The award forms part of the University of Exeter’s annual ‘Excellence in Exeter’ graduation style awards evening; designed to encourage young people to engage with higher education and help forge closer links between the University and local schools and colleges.

The Soup Kitchen project was selected as the outright winner of the ‘Community Award’ by the panel of judges from the University of Exeter and John Lewis Exeter. As one of the judges University Community Liaison Officer Rory Cunningham, was most impressed with the Soup Kitchen. He said:“The standards for this year’s entries were very high, but we felt that Southbrook School had developed an uplifting project that was perfectly sustainable, beautifully executed and really inspiring. This project had clear benefits to their local community and we hope that this positive recognition helps them to develop their ideas even further.”

Most pupils and staff at Southbrook School have been involved in developing the Soup Kitchen project, which started with money raised from a previous summer fete’s sale of vegetables. The pupils created a budget and bought leek and potato seeds from the proceeds; preparing the soil was the first step in getting the allotment ready for sowing the seeds. During the course of the growing period Southbrook’s Gardening Club spent time weeding and caring for the crop every lunchtime. Another group harvested the crop and made batches of soup during their Life Skills lessons.  As a result of this the group worked as a team, learnt about healthy food options but also explored the personal and social side of education by finding out about the St David’s soup kitchen.

As part of the recognition for their outstanding community project, Southbrook School received £500 in prize money for winning the Excellence in Exeter Community Award.

Alan Tilley, Assistant Head of Southbrook School said:“We are going to buy a poly tunnel with the money. This will go onto our allotment and will enable even more fruit and vegetables to be grown by the pupils. The soup project will continue year on year and this additional resource will help us make this a truly sustainable project.”

The Soup Kitchen project creates a direct link to a part of the community that schools often have very little connection with. The outcome of the project is proving extremely positive for everyone involved and one in which Southbrook School are the pioneers in this community endeavour.

He added:“It is a tremendous achievement for the school and one that has been the result of many years of hard work. This project has been going on in the school for many years and this award is a real recognition to the group of dedicated staff. It is really important for the pupils at Southbrook to be on a level playing field with other schools in Exeter and it shows that pupils with additional needs can achieve and excel.”

The 2013 Excellence in Exeter awards ceremony took place on Thursday 14 November in the Great Hall. The celebratory event involves over 180 pupils from years 7, 10, 12 and 13 who have been nominated from all five Exeter secondary schools, special schools and Exeter College. The audience consisted of teachers, community representatives and proud families celebrating the pupil’s achievements with entertainment created by the young people from all the schools. Each young person receives a certificate and an ‘Excellence in Exeter’ pin to wear on their uniform in the graduation style ceremony.

The schools involved were:

• Southbrook School
• West Exe Technology College
• St Luke’s Science and Sports College
• Isca
• St Peter’s Church of England Aided School
• St James School
• Exeter College