Pupils from St. Brendan’s Primary School were pick of the crop as they visited an allotment project set-up by our Restorative Justice Service with youngsters learning to grow and plant their own fruit and vegetables.

Provost Kenneth Duffy joined the pupils in planting trees on the farmland which will also help tie in with the school’s clear air initiatives.

The project is thriving with individuals serving court issued payback orders growing fruit and vegetables, helping look after rescue chickens, and distributing the produce to local foodbanks, schools and sheltered housing complexes.

Lisa Kasper, Education and Families Manager for Justice Services explained: “We were delighted to welcome the children and teachers to the allotments and give them a taste of country life!

“Our placement team helped the pupils sow seeds, visit the chicken coop, learn about different growing techniques and take away some of the vegetables. The pupils will be able to come back later in the year when the harvest takes place.

“The service users can make a real positive difference in our communities, and this is a great example of one of the many projects we are involved in. The farmer who donated this patch of land believed in giving people second chances and this has allowed us to create a teaching project to help service users develop new skills and contribute to the local community.

“This has allowed us to provide fruit and vegetables to local children’s homes and sheltered housing complexes.”

Provost Kenneth Duffy added: “This is a wonderful project and it’s great to see how our local communities and schools can benefit from the outstanding work of our restorative justice team.

“It’s heartening to see the positive impact of people serving community payback orders being given the chance to build on their rehabilitation, while giving something back to local communities.”