GREEN-FINGERED pupils at a Broadwaters school have been awarded a grant of £2,000 to help build a new garden.

St Oswalds Primary School have been handed the cash by Big Local DY10 – a lottery-funded initiative that is bringing £1 million into Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill over the next few years.

Funding will enable the children to complete their vision of a 'Smelly Garden', which will contain a variety of fragrant plants and allow pupils to grow food and help with its upkeep.

Joel Marshall, headteacher, said: "Smelly Garden is the title that they came up with and it really fired their imagination – you know what children are like!

"We will be focusing on growing fragrant plants, rosemary, onions, garlic plus all the other less pungent plants and herbs and they will then be learning how to use them in the school kitchen.

"There is a clear need for this project as shown by examination of Public Health England's Health Profile 2014.

"In our area children are not aware of what healthy, nutritious food looks like.

"Through conversations between staff and pupils it became clear that children do not have opportunities to engage with outdoor activities in a safe way."

The school’s application was chosen by Big Local DY10 due to the skill it offers to children.

John Stevenson, chair of the Big Local DY10 grants committee, said: "We felt that the children would become more aware of their local environment and where their food comes from.

"They would learn what constitutes a healthy and active lifestyle and by taking part in something bigger than themselves, their participation would have a lasting impact.

"This is what Big Local is all about."

To find out more about the Big Local DY10 project, visit biglocaldy10.org.