A Rochdale school has been able to push ahead with its pupils’ plans for a new pond development learning area after receiving thousands of pounds.
Each year pupils in year six at St Edwards Primary School, of Hanover Road, are handed a £2,000 budget by the school to work on a new environmental project.
An Ambassador Showcase Eco School, there is a strong focus on environmental and sustainability issues with previous projects seeing the introduction of a pair of pigs to help teach nurturing and care of other people.
The decision taken this year by the 52 pupils of year six was on improving their pond area, attracting more wildlife and improving the learning area.
And they were given a helping hand after the school, which has 345 pupils, beat off stiff competition to receive £3,000 through the Lloyds Bank Community Fund.
The new pond area is due for completion by the end of March and headteacher Lynne Coxell revealed the children throughout the school have already been putting the work in.
“We had a very small pond area for wild life and frogs but we had been looking to give it a complete overhaul for a while but we never had enough funds,” she said.
“The year sixes had come up with an idea but it was more than the amount we normally hand them for their yearly project.
“If we had not won the money, they would have had to think about the project again and how they could scale it back.
“But thanks to the grant they have been able to carry on with their plans, it’s great.
“They have to work everything out themselves, use their numeracy to work out the costs, measure everything up, help set up the new pond area, it’s a great learning project for them.
“We have already completed the new wildlife pond and there is decking for children to come outside and sit down for their classes. Everyone is really excited and we look forward to when it is all finished.”
Now in its second year, the Lloyds Bank Community Fund gave grants to more than 1,332 local good causes in 333 communities throughout England and Wales.
Four good causes were nominated by staff in each community with more than 2.3million votes cast in branches, online and by text message at the end of 2013.
St Edwards and St Michael’s Uniformed Groups garnered the most votes, receiving £3,000 each, while Sportsman and Social Development (SSDE) and St Michaels PTFA also received £300 towards their work.
And with both the school and the community coming together, Mrs Coxell admitted it had been a real team effort.
“The community are very much involved in the pond project too,” she added. “One of the parents was actually the one who nominated us to the bank.
“The children all made posters which we put up in the school and some children went into local shops and asked if they could put up their posters.
“It was great as it was getting the children out into the community too so with the voting too, it was a real team effort.”
Lloyds Bank has provided funding to 1,332 community groups in England & Wales through its Community Fund in 2013. To find out more about the community groups in your area, visit www.lloydsbank.com/communityfund
Image courtesy of Aquascape4 via YouTube, with thanks.
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