A BORDERS high school has received a prestigious award thanks to a generous donation from BEAR Scotland.

A donation of £750 from the BEAR Scotland community fund was key to helping Hawick High School achieve the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Schools Gardening Award level 4.

The donation helped the school to purchase items for its garden, including raised beds for wheelchair users and planters for the sensory garden which is due to be complete by the autumn term.

Barbara Usher, Hawick High School Teacher of Complex Needs said: “Wheelchair-users can now join more easily in the gardening with a bespoke raised bed, due to a magnificently generous £750 grant by BEAR Scotland.

"Students are also using the grant to create a sensory garden.”

As well as the raised bed and new planters, students and staff have also purchased:

  • Compost
  • Planter liners
  • Pinks (Dianthus)
  • Climbing plants
  • Lilies
  • Seeds
  • Cuttings
  • Wildflower seeds for a meadow in the school's car park

The school received the grant after being nominated for the road maintenance company's community fund by Marion Short, a local community councillor whose grandchild works as an Additional Needs Assistant in the school.

As well as receiving the prestigious award from the RHS Schools Gardening Award, three pupils from the high school have achieved a John Muir Discovery level award in recognition of their gardening efforts.

The donation from BEAR Scotland was in addition to support the school gets from the business community in Hawick.

Iain Murray, BEAR Scotland managing director said: “It is important to us to develop strong links in the communities in which we operate.

"We had been engaging with Marion and the community council when she mentioned this great initiative.

"We were very happy to do what we could to support it.

"The RHS award is a fantastic accolade for all at the school and their hard work.”