Parogon sows seeds with Christ Church C.E. First School

Winners of the 2019 Parogon Garden Design competition Theo Looker (age 6) and Poppy Dean (age 9) from Christ Church C.E. First School collected their prizes this week.

The Wayfarer, Stone, briefed the local school to come up with designs for a section of their garden to enhance the outdoor dining experience.

Managing Director of Parogon Group, Rich Colclough, contacted Christ Church Headteacher, Amy Graham and made plans to work together.

The children from the school were tasked with designing a garden for the Wayfarer. They were given a scaled down template and were asked to incorporate a Japanese Acer tree, which would be a significant feature in the garden.

Rich said: “We wanted the garden to centre around the Acer tree as it signifies longevity and it’s beautiful. The children will be able to visit for years to come and know that they helped create that space.”

After much tough competition, Theo (Year 1) and Poppy (Year 3) were the final winners. The garden took inspiration from both their designs to create a beautiful area for everyone to enjoy in the warmer months.

To celebrate their win, Theo and Poppy were invited with their family to the Wayfarer for a morning of drinks and prizes on Monday 16 December. The winners were treated to the Wayfarers’ finest, luxury hot chocolate complete with marshmallows and they were then presented with their prizes.

They each received a gardening set as well as a £100 Parogon gift card. They were shown around the gastro pub including the kitchen, so they could see the work which goes into the running of the Wayfarer, before visiting their garden. They have been invited back in the spring to see the garden in all its glory when it’s in full bloom.

Mrs Graham commented: “It’s been a great experience for all of the children to take part in something for a local business. We all know the Wayfarer so it’s very exciting that our school has been a part of designing its garden, which is something they can keep coming back to visit.”

Poppy’s Mum Caroline Bruus said it was a great morning: “Poppy’s really enjoyed the whole thing and was excited about the competition. She’s always keen to be involved and she’s very creative so she enjoyed that.”

Theo’s mum, Amanda Looker added: “The competition has been amazing. Theo is very happy with the present and excited to be here. It’s great they’ve made such a fuss of him.”