A BARNT Green school now has a brand new outdoor learning centre, thanks to a £12,000 grant through the Tesco ‘Bags of Help’ scheme, writes Cameron Hill.
St Andrew’s First CE School has had its unusable muddy grassland transformed into a railway station-themed area designed by Worcestershire creative landscaping firm Gardens of Reflection.
The area, which has sun shade canopies, seating areas and a soft resin floor, will be used to aid classroom learning or as a play area during break times.
It has been designed to provide a relaxing and playful space for pupils, with the aim of supporting their mental health and wellbeing, as well as encouraging them to use their imagination in a range of activities.
Younger pupils have already used the area to act out stories relating to the theme of ‘going on a journey’ and prior to breaking up for the holidays, children acted out travelling aboard the ‘Santa Express’ following a Christmas trip to the Severn Valley Railway.
Keen to secure funding for this exciting project, the school appealed to parents and their community to vote for them to receive the top grant by using the blue token provided at the checkout in Tesco Express in Barnt Green village.
Sophie Rowan, a teacher at St Andrew’s School, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the space and it’s been a massive hit with the children as well.
“They take part in lots of activities outside through the year so improving the space was vital to the children’s learning opportunities.
“Children love the freedom of working and playing outside, and this area has made that much more achievable for everyone.
“We never would have been able to implement the project without help from Tesco’s Bags of Help funding and the support of the local community.”
Farzana Kausar, Community Champion at Tesco Redditch said: “It’s wonderful to see this project come to life, showing first hand how a Bags of Help grant can have a positive impact on local communities.”
First created in 2015, the Bags of Help scheme has gifted a total of £40million to fund various projects across the UK.
Shoppers can vote using a blue token given to them at the checkout with the projects being voted on changing on a monthly basis.
Community groups and charities can apply for funding and Tesco customers and colleagues can nominate projects that they would like to see receive cash.
Visit the Bags of Help website at www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp for more information.
