OK, he’s not 7ft tall, he’s just standing on a raised bed (flower bed) but it illustrates the point that sometimes the person reporting the news just picks the wrong issue to focus on!

7ft schoolboy terrorizes plants

The staff at SOLO recently turned up to a local school along with a small crowd from Thames Water to erect a large poly tunnel.  I know its a plastic bag with plants in it but bear with me here.  The thing that makes this interesting is that Bob, known to his mates as “Mighty Bob’, who looks after the school gardens and anything else at Churchend Primary, called in volunteers from SOLO and Thames Water to put up the poly tunnel which the kids were going to use to grow veg for their own lunches!  See… I told you it was interesting!  Sadly the reporter from the Reading Chronicle turned up before the poly tunnel was built and so  decided it was all about the gardening club and pictures of kids and flower pots!

The Polytunnel was erected by the good people from SOLO and Thames Water and mighty Bob.  The money to buy the poly tunnel was also donated by SOLO and Thames Water.  The most important part of the story here…  The kids at Churchend are being taught to use the resources at hand to grow food which will be used at the school to feed the children.

THIS is the sort of closed loop effort which will teach the children that they have the ability to make a difference.  Donating money and time is important and certainly should be recognized but I think I can speak for everyone who was there with hammers, nails, and other sharp tools when I say that the success of this venture is down to Bob who found the funding, rallied the volunteers and brought it all together for the kids.  Good man Bob.  Our hats off to you.