Words & Photos by Harvey Smart
Pupils at St Michaelʼs Primary in Dalreoch are enjoying a new outdoor music wall thanks to a local charity and a much-loved mother.
The project was led by June Hopkins, who founded Wilmaʼs Wishes in memory of her late mother, and the installations were built by Tullochan Trustʼs Timber Transitions.
The programme helps young people and adults in West Dunbartonshire develop practical skills, including maths and employability through hands-on woodworking.
“I had seen them online, I was basically looking at how we could get this done very, very cheap,” June explains.
“So I contacted Kevin at Tullochan, and said, would there be any possibility that you would be able to help us out? And he said, ʻYeah, if we can get some pallets.ʼ
“We managed to get them from Gilmour and Aitken and we went round to schools asking if we could get any old music stuff, pots and pans, anything donated.”
Growing Knowledge
She explains how it all began.
“I was doing a course through the Corra Foundation, called System Changers, about what would you like to see differently in your community?
“I thought I would like to teach kids how to grow stuff, because when I was growing up, my mum was always planting stuff for the kids.
“So I thought that would be nice, and we started off in St Michael’s Primary School. We were just basically putting in some plants, growing some potatoes and stuff.”
June and her colleague Claire also cook with produce they grow with the kids, showing them where the food they eat comes from.
“Seeing the kids’ faces and watching them see how it goes from seed to full plant to being eaten, it’s just absolutely amazing to see,” she says.
The project has been incredibly popular with the children, with schools in the local community reaching out, asking June to bring Wilmaʼs Wishes to their pupils.
Recycled Greenhouse
At St Michaelʼs, they plan to build a greenhouse from recycled plastic bottles so they can be more self-sufficient in growing seeds, rather than buying plants.
Activities have even included outings to a farm in Stirling, where the kids were allowed to sample the produce.
“They went around the farm trying out different things, and they learned a lot more about growing your own stuff.
“A lot of them came back from it saying they would like to be a farmer when they’re older,” June laughs.
Local organisations and businesses have been supportive, providing June with not only materials but also funding, including £1,500 from the Strathleven Foundation.
Future plans include more cooking with the kids, and expanding the programme, using St Michaelʼs as a base to see what works, and also involving more parents.
“When the kids were planting stuff with us, some of them said that it was really fun.
“Then the next week they would tell us they went to the garden centre shopping with their mum, and now they were starting to plant stuff in their own garden.”
What began as a tribute to bring her motherʼs love of gardening to local kids has blossomed into a vibrant project that is inspiring children to think about where their food comes from.
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