St Mary’s Primary School is a small school of 52 children and approximately 20 staff administered by the Catholic Diocese in the heart of Bowraville.

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The school, situated in a low-income area of NSW, offers more features than most, providing breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea to their cohort of local students.

Raised garden beds and eating areas at the school needed some attention but with funds short and ideas long, Amy Chapman, the School’s Assistant Principal, reached out to Coffs Harbour Bunnings for some help.

Activities Organiser Kirsty from Bunnings in Coffs Harbour answered her call and coordinated with Luke from the Kempsey store to organise a working party and materials to assist the school.

The Men’s Shed from Nambucca Heads also contributed by constructing two large wooden picnic tables which were soon delivered.

“It’s an ongoing project but today we are working on the kitchen gardens,” Amy told News Of The Area last Wednesday, pointing to all manner of seasonal seedlings including cucumbers, lettuce and (every child’s favourite) beans.

Future plans for the school include a paved eating area.

“We’ve got a few green thumbs on staff, so I think everybody will be pitching in,” she said.

“We can save money on accessories (for meals) like instead of buying spinach, we can grow our own,” Stanley, a Year 6 student at the school told NOTA.

“They make us sandwiches, snacks and sometimes special lunches,” said Stanley.

You can guess what lunch was to be when the Bunnings’ crew visited to lend a hand – “Sausages, of course,” laughed Kirsty.

The before and after pictures speak for themselves and NOTA is sure the students and teachers will receive hours of enjoyment and learning from the new garden beds.

By Ned COWIE