A school in Slaithwaite is appealing for help to create a community garden in its grounds.

Nields Academy Parents, Teachers & Friends Association (PTFA) has launched a crowdfunder with the support of Kirklees Council’s Growing Great Places scheme.

The school wants to turn an old chicken coop into a community garden to bring people of all ages together, fostering community ties and promoting sustainability and bio-diversity.

The community garden will have a new accessible path, an entrance to a formal vegetable garden, with flowering borders encouraging pollinators, accessible raised beds, a composting toilet, water butts and benches for people to sit a while and enjoy the space.

The school needs to raise £11,825 by February 3 2026 to release funding from Kirklees Council. So far just over £7,700 has been raised.

Head gardener Mrs Karen Hill said: “This is a great opportunity for the whole community to come together and create something amazing for the village.

“This isn’t just for the school, it’s for everyone in the community and people of all ages.

“It’s perfect for people who want to start growing their own veg or for people who want an allotment but can’t get one. There’s 112 on the waiting list for an allotment in Slaithwaite!

“It’s also great for older gardeners who might want to have some company and pass on their skills and knowledge to the next generation.”

The school PTFA created Nields Garden during the Covid lockdown and it’s now become a central part of school life and is embedded in the curriculum.

Mrs Hill added: “Gardening has so many benefits, environmentally as well as mentally and socially.

“With so many people in Slaithwaite without access to their own garden and with over 112 people on the waiting list for an allotment, we believe this would be fantastic for the whole community.

“We’ve had a great response so far and we have just over £4,000 left to raise to unlock funding from Kirklees Council, so every penny genuinely helps.

“We’re reaching out to local people and businesses to ask whether they would consider making a donation to support a project right here in our own community.”

To donate go to https://www.spacehive.com/nields-community-garden