Gardening competition helps London children to grow their own food

17:01:20 21st January 2010

London children are being encouraged by Mayor Boris Johnson to engage in gardening, as part of a new initiative launched this week.

The Capital Growth schools competition invites the city's primary school children to grow their own fruit and vegetables.

The top food growing schools across a range of categories will win a visit by a celebrity gardener, cash prizes of £500, plants and a wormery.

The Mayor said the competition would provide children with a hands-on experience in "growing your own grub".

"There is much top notch work taking place by green fingered teachers and pupils across the capital already, which I salute," he said.

"We want to help cultivate this growing appetite for locally grown food, reward the top performers and bring more schools into the Capital Growth fold."

Chair of London Food Rosie Boycott, who launched the competition, said youngsters who grow their own food typically eat healthier and appreciate what they are eating.

According to Capital Growth, some 30,000 people in London rent allotments to grow vegetables and fruit, and 14 per cent of households grow vegetables in their garden.