STROUD primary school pupils will be selling fruit and veg they have grown themselves at the Shambles Market, raising funds for a community food charity.

Next month, students from Rodborough, Rosary and Leonard Stanley primary schools will be rubbing shoulders with seasoned traders as they run a market stall selling pumpkins, herbs, salad leaves, raspberries and more.

With training in food growing and market trading, the children planted their vegetable seeds in the spring and have been nurturing them until now.

Bringing their produce to market on Friday, October 1, will mark the culmination of several months’ work.

Called the Young Marketeers project, it has been organised by school food campaigners School Food Matters.

Ruth Quinlan, regional project manager said: “This project has been really fun and positive for the students.

"They loved sowing seeds, watering and weeding, but harvesting the produce was their favourite part.”

With training in food growing and market trading, the children planted their vegetable seeds in the spring and have been nurturing them until now.

Every pound raised on market day goes to The Long Table, a Stroud-based charity which combats loneliness and poverty through food.

Ms Quinlan said: "Children are so distant these days from the realities of where their food comes from.

"The Young Marketeers Programme gives them a chance to produce their own food and see how much it is valued in their community by selling it at their local street market.

"They also develop fantastic enterprise skills and learn how they can tackle local problems such as food waste, and food poverty."

Pupils and staff from the primary schools will running their stall in The Shambles, Stroud, on Friday, October 1, from 9.30am till 11am.

School Food Matters is a charity on a mission to teach children about food and to improve children’s access to healthy, sustainable food during their time at school.