BOOTOPIA, a mini-festival held at Boot Up! Outdoor Learning for Everyone at Perranarworthal was hailed a "magical event" and a great success by all the carers, teachers, friends and supporters who attended.

Boot Up! is an outdoor education project that offers learning in the outdoors to groups of vulnerable young people aged from11 to 16 from schools across Cornwall. It offers activities such as gardening, horticulture, cooking, green woodworking and construction as well as focusing on soft skills and special projects. At weekends it provides children's parties and specialist courses and also trains teachers to become Forest School Leaders.

Music at Bootopia was provided by local band The Roustabouts and a barbecue, cream tea, garden tours and circus skills were enjoyed by all. Special guests at the festival were representatives from Cormac, who had donated a man and mini digger to redesign and build a new synergetic allotment garden at Boot Up! in the form of a spiral.

BootUp's operations manager Jane Atkinson, said "The young people have been so excited by the development of this special garden and have completely embraced it and made it their own. They have worked hard in learning about companion planting methods and building the garden, sowing seeds and planting and watering the garden. It is a wonderful achievement in its first year."

Jacqui Owen, visitor and education officer at Falmouth's Gyllyngdune Gardens, added: "Jane approached us to help with the landscaping of the garden and in the depths of winter our two chaps worked the frozen ground for two days moving earth and creating the new shape. To be invited her to see this wonderful garden is fantastic and a testament to their hard work."

On display at the festival was an exhibition of the art and craft work and the Gyllyngdune Garden Youth Cup that the young people at Boot Up! won at Falmouth Spring Flower Show. "They worked so hard with their entries to the show and the cup is proudly on show to remind everyone of their achievements," said Jane. "We have had a fantastic year and the garden and all the art and craft, woodwork and construction projects on site are an indication of how dedicated they all are."

Boot Up! hopes to continue to develop the garden further during the year and are happy harvesting the first crops of beans, peas, courgettes and potatoes and are looking forward to the pumpkins ready for Halloween and there will be an Apple Day in October.

For information about school visits or children's parties contact Jane via www.bootup.org.uk.