A TEAM of volunteers from Anwyl Homes Lancashire sprung into action to assist with improving outside space at a Barton school.
St Mary and St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School now has a multifunctional willow dome area after successfully applying for support via the Love From Anwyl community initiative.
The team from Anwyl included Amy Lloyd, Alex Hetherington, Chloe Annis, Joseph Weston and Nathan Burns.
Amy explained: “We wanted to offer something more personal by donating our time to provide something lasting and leave a legacy in the community. The school had applied for help from our Love From Anwyl Fund to improve its outside space and it appeared the perfect project to pitch in using our team’s expertise from different departments.
“To add to the challenge, we completed the project with no funding, relying on donations of materials from our suppliers.”
Survey ENG carried out a landscape survey to help with the project planning. A gravel pathway was replaced with mulch donated by GSU Landscapes to provide a natural feel and a softer landing for children. Planters were refilled with plants provided by WLG Chester Ltd and timber was donated by GW Berry to build new benches.
“We used some of the timber to connect tree stumps, provided by Westfield Tree Services, to create a circular bench and maximise seating capacity in the willow dome,” Amy added.
“To encourage wildlife into the area we built bird houses from the timber and made bird feeders from old plastic bottles and pots donated by staff from our Lancashire office. We had plenty of bottles and bird feed leftover and donated these to the school so the children can make their own bird feeders.”
Ainsley Signs donated and fitted a sign for the willow dome area which was designed by a year six pupil including the year group class names – wrens, robins, owls, jays and eagles.
A frame has been created on one of the planters with a white board for outdoor lessons.
Anwyl also donated gardening equipment, plus seeds for the children to start a new project in the planting season.
Head teacher Sarah Roach said: “The willow area, thanks to Anwyl, is now multifunctional. We use it as a worship area, for quiet reading or relaxing for children who don’t want to do sports at playtime. Sometimes, we take whole classes of children in there to enjoy a good book.
“The governors love the trellis area, new plants, bird feeders and seating area; new families who look round the school describe it as ‘beautiful’, and our current families have expressed delight in seeing this run-down area turned into a well-used and delightful area to be in. We can’t thank Anwyl enough for the work undertaken at our school. The team we dealt with have been so professional, considerate, kind and enthusiastic. They really made us feel that they wanted our school to fulfil its motto of ‘being the best that we can be’.
Anwyl also donated £2,000 towards upgrading playground markings which had almost fully faded.
Mrs Roach added: “Without Anwyl, we didn’t have the funds to improve the playground markings and would have simply had to go without. This would have been difficult for us, especially this winter when the school field is unusable, so all the children have to be on the playground. The markings now support the children in engaging in safe and fun activities with their friends.”
Anwyl’s support for St Mary and St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School came via the Love From Anwyl community initiative, which saw £5,000 shared amongst good causes near to the company’s developments across Lancashire including those in Barton, Longridge and Fulwood.
Managing director John Grime said: “Anwyl is a thoughtful homebuilder. We recognise that we have a part to play in shaping the future of the communities we’re building in and ensuring they remain places where people love living. The project at St Mary and St Andrew’s is a fantastic example of how we and our suppliers can help make a difference.”
For more information about where Anwyl is building see www.anwylhomes.co.uk.
