Derry pupils hands-on day of winter gardening at soft launch of Derry's Gate Lodge  

The Acorn Farm Project celebrated the soft launch of the new Gate Lodge Garden in St Columb’s Park by hosting Nazareth House School’s P6 class for an exciting, hands-on day of winter gardening.

Situated in St. Columb’s Park, the Acorn Farm Project is dedicated to creating a sustainable, community-centred farm that provides educational opportunities, practical training, and engaging experiences for local residents. 

This event marked the first ever activity at the Gate Lodge, a new space created to connect the community with sustainable food practices and climate-friendly learning. 

At the Gate Lodge, P6 students explored winter vegetables like spinach, pak choi, and garlic, even sampling garlic of various strengths. Brooke Park gardener Johnny Mitchell helped the children plant garlic and label the vegetables, while Joe Newby from Developing Healthy Communities made garlic samples for the kids to try. 

Allan Bogle from Derry City and Strabane District Council, expressed his enthusiasm for the event, “Today’s activity is the first of many at the Gate Lodge, and it was a privilege to welcome Nazareth House P6 students to take part in this milestone. Seeing the kids explore their senses through smell, taste and touch, learn about winter vegetables, and have fun was a fantastic way to kick off the Gate Lodge’s role as a community learning space.” 

Jacob Crawford, a student from North West Regional College, joined to film the day and has been documenting the Gate Lodge’s ongoing development. 

Acorn Farm NI Partners with Nazareth House pupils at Gate Lodge

The Acorn Farm Project is a partnership project delivered by The Conservation Volunteers, Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, Derry Healthy Communities, Social Farms and Gardens NI and Derry City and Strabane District Council with funding from the UK Government and Derry City and Strabane District Council, £6.2 m and The National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund £2m.

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Shauna Kelpie, from Community Foundation for Northern Ireland said, “We’re really pleased to see young people from Nazareth House School engage with the Gate Lodge and begin connecting with their food in a hands-on way.

"This is just the start of Acorn Farm’s journey to becoming a vibrant community hub for learning, sustainability, and growth.”