The Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust has awarded £1,500 to St Roch’s Secondary School in Royston, helping bring a vibrant community garden project one step closer to reality. The initiative aims to transform an overgrown outdoor space into a thriving, sustainable learning environment where pupils can develop practical skills, connect with nature, and enjoy a calm area for wellbeing.
St Roch’s serves a diverse and close‑knit community, with pupils from a wide range of backgrounds and more than 40 languages spoken across the school. Despite facing challenges, the school is defined by its resilience, pride, and commitment to creating opportunities for every young person to grow and succeed.
The garden project has already seen significant pupil involvement, with young people working hard to clear large sections of overgrowth and restore pathways. With the support of the Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust, the school can now bring in professional assistance to safely tackle the remaining dense weeds and begin building a space that will benefit learners for years to come.
David Wark, Teacher of Geography said, “We are delighted and grateful to be awarded the fund. The young people have worked hard at clearing the garden area which was overgrown with weeds. With funding we can now start the process in clearing the invasive weeds and preparing the ground properly so it can be used as a relaxing learning environment for our learners. It will allow us to learn about sustainability and growing nutritious rich food. We love our community and are excited to give back with this project.”
David Facenna, Corporate Culture Director at Allied Vehicles Group added, “St Roch’s commitment to giving young people meaningful, hands‑on learning experiences is truly inspiring. Their garden project doesn’t just improve an outdoor space, it strengthens skills, confidence and community pride. We’re delighted to support a project that will offer pupils a place to learn, reflect and grow, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it has on the school and the wider community.”
