Brechin High School is securing a lease of land from Scotia Homes to develop an allotment and food forest for the school and local community to offer rural learning and improve wellbeing and sustainability opportunities.

The school will lease the three acres of land which is near the school at Brechin West for £1 per year.

The new allotment project will give young people the opportunity to get hands-on learning experiences, while providing a space for young people and the community to unwind, connect with nature and explore agriculture, horticulture and sustainable practices up close.

Convenor of Children and Learning Cllr Lynne Devine said:

“This is a very innovative partnership between Brechin High School and Scotia Homes which will offer our young people an opportunity to learn beyond the classroom where they can explore, learn and grow – both academically and personally and perhaps lead to future careers.

“Having this space for the school and community is an excellent way to learn hands on about growing food sustainably, preparing healthy meals and promoting long-term healthy lifestyle habits.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how it progresses over the next months and years”

Spokesperson for Environment, Tourism and Active Travel Cllr Serena Cowdy added:

“Growing food locally is a great way to reduce food miles, and hence the environmental impact of food production.

“Allotments give people the opportunity to learn about healthy food growing and are also valuable spaces for them to engage with nature.

“I look forward to seeing how the young people at Brechin High School and the local community transform and cultivate the land into something they can be proud of.”

Lesley Lindsay, Project Manager at Scotia Homes who has been working closely with the Community Campus to bring this partnership to life, talks of the project’s success to date:

“We are thrilled Brechin Community Campus approached Scotia Homes about this project, we were more than happy to get involved, providing the necessary space, design, and planning input to help this project come to fruition.

“We feel the project is well aligned to our vision of creating desirable neighbourhoods for all, encouraging connections within the community, as well as our sustainability and bio-diversity goals. We are very excited to see the plans materialise on-site”.