Royal visit for edible education programme

Royal visit for edible education programme

The Duchess of Cornwall will be treated to a meal created fresh from the garden when she visits a Garden to Table Trust school during her Diamond Jubilee Royal Visit next week.

The Garden to Table Trust, which provides a not-for-profit scheme to teach children how to grow and cook their own food, was personally selected by the Duchess of Cornwall as something she wanted to see during her six day trip to New Zealand.

She will be visiting East Tamaki Primary School, one of the schools running the programme, on November 12.

More than 1,000 children participate in the programme at schools throughout the country each week.

“We are thrilled the Duchess has chosen Garden to Table as one of her must-sees,” says the trust’s chairperson Catherine Bell.

“Having the spotlight shone on our work like this is a real validation of our programme and the hard work that has been put in by the school, children and our many volunteers, partners and sponsors.

“The children of course will be very excited to have the Duchess of Cornwall at their school and it will be an occasion they will always remember,” Ms Bell says.

Garden to Table currently has 10 primary schools around the country running the curriculum-integrated programme which teaches essential life skills while enhancing academic outcomes.

Established in New Zealand in 2008 by cook and food writer Catherine Bell, the programme now has a waiting list of more than 60 schools wishing to join.

“There is a huge demand for our programme as people have come to realise how essential this real-life learning is when it comes to educating the whole child and in fact the communities they come from,” says Ms Bell.

Eight new schools will be joining Garden to Table during the next five years as a part of the Glenn Family Foundation’s $8 million pilot project in Otara to combat child poverty. The programme was identified as being a key component in creating better life outcomes for children living in the South Auckland suburb.

Meanwhile, the trust is hoping the Duchess of Cornwall enjoys her visit to New Zealand and that her experience of Garden to Table will be a pleasurable one.

“Given that Prince Charles is such an avid organic farmer we are hoping the Duchess will pass on a few tips she learns from the children and she may even take home a few new recipes,” says Ms Bell.

ENDS

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