SEVERAL local businesses have teamed-up to organise a Potato-Growing Challenge this Spring.
Competitors this year include IKEA, The Park Inn, Thurrock Re-Use Project (TRUP), Rio Aggregates, Thurrock Council’s Waste team and Thurrock Learning Partnership’s Knowledge Thurrock Innovation Associates (KTIA) project.
Recycling sacks have been provided by the Council’s Waste team and Maris Peer seed potatoes by KTIA. Challengers will be using their own soil and compost compositions to vie for the prize of best yield. A second prize for the ‘potato that most looks like a celebrity’ is to be judged by a representative from the Royal Opera House.
Richard Snell, Project Delivery Manager for KTIA, said: “I work regularly with local businesses – and more and more are coming to understand the importance of sustainability. This challenge hopefully highlights a more fun aspect of an organisation’s green commitment.”
KTIA is a Thurrock Council project, led by the Thurrock Learning Partnership, which provides support to small and medium sized enterprises across the local area. Thanks to funding from the European Regional Development Fund, organisations can benefit from support for projects which ideally help the environment.
Richard Snell added: “There is a strong competitive spirit amongst the challengers too; TRUP will be fertilising their plants with a family recipe; The Waste team already has a wormery to produce worm tea; and IKEA are using their recycled coffee-grinds from their canteen. This year is very much a pilot but, hopefully if there is enough interest, we will spread the Thurrock Potato-growing Challenge Cup area-wide next year.”
For further information about the event, or to find out more about writing your organisation’s own Green Commitment, please contact Richard Snell, KTIA Project Delivery Manager, on 07500 802 311, or email r.a.snell@uel.ac.uk.
