Growing something special at Benchill Primary

We know great ideas can come from anywhere – and this one started with one of our neighbourhood officers. 

Karen Heslop worked with our Community Development team to turn a simple idea into something special for local children at Benchill Primary School. 

Over five months, Karen planned and built a brand-new school allotment to help children understand where their food really comes from, not just what they see on supermarket shelves. 

Karen said: “I wanted children to see how fruit and vegetables grow from seed and understand the time and care it takes. It’s about helping them appreciate the food they eat and maybe even inspiring them to grow their own.”

Working together, we brought in support from partners and our community. Bell Group donated compost and stone flooring, while Bespoke also supported on the day and donated compost. 

But what really made this project stand out was the support from residents. They got stuck into the project, with one resident using his woodworking skills to create planters, a picket fence and bug houses for the allotment.  

Karen shared how meaningful this support has been: “This project has brought people together. One resident told me that helping with this gave him something positive to focus on and helped him through a difficult time. That really stayed with me.” 

The project, which completed in earlier this month, has already made a big difference. The new allotment will be one of the first things children see when they arrive at school, filled with plants that will grow and attract wildlife for years to come. 

Liam Hilton and Eugene Carr from Bell Group, who provided £800 in social value support, said: “It has been our pleasure to assist Wythenshawe Community Housing Group on this project. At Bell, we’re always looking to give back to the communities we work in wherever we can.” 

This project shows what’s possible when we work together – combining ideas, skills and support to create something lasting for our community. 

If you’ve got an idea that could make a difference where you live, our Community Development team would love to hear from you. You can contact them at communitydevelopment@wchg.org.uk