A Glasgow nursery will teach children how to grow their own produce and cook, following a £500 funding award from a popular charity.

Cowcaddens Day Nursery, in the city centre, recently received £500 from Glasgow Credit Union’s charitable fund - Giving Glasgow - to teach children about sustainability and the environment.

The nursery will be using the money for a possible compost heap in their garden space, an area to grow fruit and vegetables, and to purchase new technology for the children to discover a wider range of cooking materials and information.

Glasgow Times: Cowcaddens Day Nursery receiving £500 cheque Cowcaddens Day Nursery receiving £500 cheque (Image: Cowcaddens Day Nursery with £500 cheque)

Kirsten Mather, team leader at Cowcaddens Day Nursery, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to receive this money. We’re over the moon.

“We’re aiming to raise awareness on sustainability through growing our own produce and giving kids a chance to cook.

“It gives more opportunity for children to learn about the lifecycle of plant growing and use produce instead of going to shop.

“We want to reduce waste in the nursery, and more outdoor learning is on our agenda.”

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With this project, and the money to fund it, the nursery is hoping to “create a positive relationship” between children and food.

Kirsten said: “We want to spark curiosity and allow the kids to discover new passions and skills - maybe even lifelong passions.”

“Handling food and having that first-hand experience means the kids will know of the meaning behind risk and safety too.

“Hopefully this will create positive impacts in later life.”

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Kirsten added: “We will start to send food packages home with children and offer them a bag of ingredients and a recipe card with the food we grow.

“It means children can cook with families at home, and this enables them to reflect and use the skills they will develop within the nursery.

“Our nursery is so close to the city centre that not all families have spaces to grow their own produce and have these opportunities. So, we’re hoping to get parents with keen interest and skill involved in this.

“We want to build a real sense of community again now that Covid restrictions have lessened and we’re also aware of the current cost-of-living crisis too.”

Glasgow Times: Cowcaddens Day Nursery receiving £500 cheque Cowcaddens Day Nursery receiving £500 cheque (Image: Cowcaddens Day Nursery receiving £500 cheque)

The nursery is hoping to put the money to use and begin their project later in the month.

Kirsten said: “This is a really exciting time for the children, and the parents are absolutely delighted that we’ve been given this money to fund new projects.

“We’ve spoken with the children to see what they want to buy - they’re very involved in the consultation process.

“We’re getting them to choose what fruit and veg they want and are in the process of making a wish list with them for the money we’ve received.”

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Gillian Buckley, community engagement officer at Glasgow Credit Union, said: “We’re delighted to provide Cowcaddens Day Nursey with an award of £500 through our charitable fund, Giving Glasgow.

“As the nursery is aiming to develop an awareness of sustainability through growing produce, we wanted to help contribute to funding cooking equipment and garden items.

“This will help the nursery to buy what they need to grow and cook their own food as well as being able to offer this to local families in the community.”