I’m writing to ask if teachers, parents and pupils could support our petition to the Scottish Parliament to encourage and enable schools to plant orchards. Over years we have helped hundreds of schools and thousands of children to plant their own fruit trees. It’s a cheap and effective way of helping children to grow their own, it fits with the school year far better than growing vegetables, which always seem to be ready in the summer holidays, and it fits with programmes such as Eco Schools, Health Promoting Schools, and also Curriculum for Excellence.

We presented our “fruitful” petition this week to the Scottish Parliament, and it would be great if schools, parents and pupils could contact their MSPs asking for their support in ensuring that all of Scotland’s young people grow up knowing first hand that fruit actually does grow on trees.

In these economically stretched times, sustainable growth in the form of planting a tree, and seeing it blossom and then fruit, is something young people should experience.

The full petition is available to download at www.fruitfulschools.com and I would be delighted if people would also send any suggestionscomments to me at john@fruitfulschools.com.

John Hancox, director of The Children’s Orchard.