A PRIMARY school is celebrating after receiving more than £9000 from The National Lottery Community Trust to create a new eco garden. 

St Conval’s Primary School in the Southside plans to use the £9950 to transform an unused and overgrown area within the playground into an eco garden for the pupils and the wider community.

The eco garden will improve the school grounds and pupils will be learning hands-on skills, such as how to grow fruit and vegetables. Any surplus produce will be given to local families who are struggling to deal with rising food costs.

Not only will the garden include vegetable beds, a wildlife and nature area, seating and an outdoor learning space, it will also have a mural painted by local artist Stephen Machin.

He said: “I'm excited to be able to work with the children at St Conval’s and the Pollokshaws community to create a wonderful mural for everyone to enjoy. I cannot wait to hear the ideas the schoolchildren will come up with. I'm very thankful to be able to work with the community again on such an amazing project.”

Headteacher Marian Kelly is delighted with the National Lottery award.

She said: “Our plan is to create an engaging space which will allow our children and their families to grow their own produce whilst developing an understanding of biodiversity.

“Many of our families do not have access to their own garden and this project will provide them with a space where they can come together outdoors and enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits associated with participating in gardening sessions.

“We are all very aware of the cost of living at the moment and this garden space will provide families with access to free family fun. We believe that it will be a very rewarding project for our school community to produce our own fruit and vegetables and we can’t wait to get started!”