Ipswich: Copleston students meet Duchess of Cornwall in project final

Students from Copleston High School met the Duchess of Cornwall yesterday as part of a national harvest festival project.

Organised as part of the Love British Food scheme, the visit to Birmingham was the prize for competing in the project throughout the year, and gave students the opportunity to present Suffolk produce, including homemade food and vegetables grown on the school allotment, to a food bank in the city.

Cindy Newey, garden project worker at Copleston High School, said: “It was fantastic, a superb day. The children absolutely loved it. Some students find it hard to engage in the classroom, but we give them them something hands on to get involved in.”

Eight students from across the school attended the event, all of whom worked on the project.

Among some of the tasks completed to reach the final were providing a British menu for a fortnight, designing a harvest festival box, a healthy eating cook off competition, and a tea party involving local produce donated by Suffolk businesses, and organised by Duke of Edinburgh award students.

The students also got to meet Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cornwall, who chatted to the group about the work they had completed and their involvement in the project.

Ms Newey added: “The Duchess was really warm and friendly, andn really interested in what they had been doing. We were really pushing Suffolk with our box.”

Following on from the Love British Food work, the school was also presented with a hot bin composter by Suffolk County Council earlier today, in a new challenge which sees the school recording food waste from the kitchens, and composting it to use in the memorial garden and allotment.

Ms Newey added: “It’s such a positive body of work, and great for our community to see how dedicated our students are.”