Dominic Chessum Two schoolgirls are hoping their newly acquired allotment can help strengthen community relations and maybe even win them the holiday of a lifetime.Cromer High School pupils Jazmine Malin and Hayley Massingham, got stuck into their allotment, off Green's Lane, Cromer, for the first time yesterday.

Dominic Chessum

Two schoolgirls are hoping their newly acquired allotment can help strengthen community relations and maybe even win them the holiday of a lifetime.

Cromer High School pupils Jazmine Malin and Hayley Massingham, got stuck into their allotment, off Green's Lane, Cromer, for the first time yesterday.

The two 12-year-olds, who have called themselves “Team Munch Bunch”, have taken on the 12m square patch of earth as their entry for a competition being run by the Partners Against Crime Taskforce.

The competition, called Wham, encourages teams to make a real difference to the area where they live by building better community relations and improving the local environment.

The entry which judges feel has had the biggest impact will win a foreign holiday.

Both Jazmine and Hayley hope that not only will pupils from other schools get involved but people from the local area will come along and help out, thus encouraging the old and young to build bridges and get to know one another better.

“We picked this project because it will help and involve the community and we are really hoping people get involved,” said Jazmine, who is keen to jet off to Florida if the team win.

Hayley said she was confident the holiday would be theirs but added that she intended to keep the project going long after the competition was over.

But before the girls can start to reap the fruits of their labour there is a lot of work to be done. The ground must be cleared and well dug.

They are inviting as many people as possible down to the allotment on Sunday for a day of digging to give things a kick start.

Hayley Staniforth, extended school coordinator for Cromer, who helps form partnerships between the community and local schools and is helping the girls with their project, said: “It needs lots of people to get involved and we are appealing for spare plants, old tools, seeds, a water butt and chicken wire, as well as people to help dig.”

Michael Shea from Cromer Garden Society is already lending a hand.

He said: “It is a good idea to get schools and the wider community together and when we start growing things the children can see how nature takes its course.”

To get involved with the project or help out on Sunday's dig call Hayley Staniforth on 07867 572153.