OWN Trust is very excited to be involved with the Nene Nursery, a horticultural nursery at the entrance to Ferry Meadows Country Park.

The nursery aims to create an inclusive, safe, and accessible community space that will help local communities connect with nature, grow understanding and skills, and accrue health and wellbeing benefits. The nursery will be accessible to different groups including the three schools in the OWN Trust.

To mark the launch of the nursery and OWN Trust's participation in it, Nick File, OWN Trust Executive Deputy Headteacher, and Stuart Mansell, CEO at OWN Trust, attended a celebratory event on Monday 11th September 2023. 

The launch was followed up by visits to each of the schools by two representatives from Nene Park Trust, Gareth Lorman, and Vicky Chambers, to discover opportunities for how the School in Residence project will work within Orton Wistow Primary School, Nene Valley Primary School, and Woodston Primary School. The aim was to identify cross-over projects that could be started at the Nene Nursery and then be brought back into schools at sites such as the pond, forest areas, quiet areas, and sensory gardens. 

We believe that the experience of working with the nursery will benefit Year 4 children in a range of ways, including expanding their horticultural knowledge and experience. There is a compost toilet at the Nene Nursery, which the children are sure to find intriguing. The children will hopefully get the opportunity to grow and harvest maybe using herbs and tomatoes to top pizzas.  The three schools are looking at projects to link Nene Park and their individual schools; Woodston’s pond, Nene Valley’s willow and Orton Wistow’s wood areas.

As the year progresses, we will keep you updated what the schools have been doing at the Nene Park Nursery.

You can find out more about the nursery by visiting Nene Nursery | Nene Park Trust.