ISS Education partnered with Innocent Drinks, who run their own ‘The Big Grow’ initiative, on this venture – Innocent Drinks sponsored the ISS event, supporting with classroom gardening kits, seed packs and gardening themed prizes.
Activities took place from 9-20 May 2022 and included a host of exciting foodie and gardening themed events for primary school children. Pupils at participating schools had the opportunity to try plant-based dishes and tasters (including broccoli stalk slaw and beetroot hummus) during lunchtimes.
Over 2,000 pupils joined live virtual foodie sessions hosted by ISS’s chefs and nutritionists, where classroom-based children were joined virtually by classes from across the country, to watch plant-based cooking demos, take part in food themed activities and talk to ISS nutritionists about tasty, vegan-friendly ingredients.
The gardening themed virtual sessions were supported by ISS’s long-standing partner and gardening expert, Chris Collins. Over 1,800 children joined Chris for online practical sessions, where they discussed growing tips, planned gardens and planting seeds.
ISS are proud supporters of Love British Food. As well as teaching children about the nutritional advantages of eating healthy fruits and vegetables, Green Fingers encourages positives for the planet through prompting children to look out for seasonal, UK produce. The initiative also celebrates the benefits of gardening for mental health and social skills development, all of which contribute to positive relationships with healthy, homegrown foods.
Alistair Dale, Managing Director – Education at ISS UK & Ireland, commented: “Every year, we love running our Green Fingers campaign because it’s clear to see the positive impact this has on pupils across the country. During the pandemic we held the celebration online, which proved extremely successful. So, this year we were able to do a blend of both online and in-school engagement, which allowed us to have an even bigger impact. We were delighted with the uptake of the sessions which were attended by more pupils than ever before – it was fantastic to hear the great feedback from those children and teachers who attended.”
Lorraine Fraser-Leonard, Vice Principle at Outwood Primary Academy, Kirkhamgate, said: “The children at Outwood Primary Academy thoroughly enjoyed ISS’s Green Fingers Big – Grow event. Chris Collins engaged the children by talking about how to create interesting garden spaces and worked with children to plant seeds whilst teaching them about what plants need to grow. The pupils also attended a really exciting and interesting live session where the children enjoyed watching the chef create a super tasty salad, whilst learning about the nutritional benefits of different fruits and vegetables.”
