Yak Patel from WEM supporters LDCVS, Sandylands deputy head teacher Mrs Lupton, Councillor Margaret Pattison, mayor of Lancaster, and Chris Price, chair of WEM, with pupils Florence, Florence and Kaidie
Land at a Morecambe primary school is being transformed into an eco-garden for pupils to learn about nature, wellbeing and the outdoors.
The first spades have gone into the ground at the Sandylands Primary School eco-garden, at an event attended by the mayor of Lancaster and partners of the scheme.
The garden will include growing areas and polytunnels, bug hotels and bird feeders, water collection for planting, outdoor seating, and a large activity table.
A memorial bench among herbs and strawberry planters will remember much-loved school governor and long-time local councillor June Ashworth, who died last year.
Pupils will tend vegetables for the ‘source local’ school kitchen, to take home, or become young market garden entrepreneurs.
The school hopes construction will be completed by the end of March, followed by spring planting and landscaping, with a formal opening around Easter.
Children from Sandylands’ Pupil Parliament formed an eco-committee to help design the garden, following an innovative pupil forum held by West End Morecambe Big Local (WEM) – a resident-led community partnership working to tackle local issues and improve the area.
Pupils expressed the desire for somewhere green that felt like it belonged to them.
Designed in line with the school’s Climate Action Plan, the garden will be embedded into the curriculum, supporting science, environmental studies and wellbeing activities from the school’s Little Seahorses Nursery right through to Year 6 children.
“We’re incredibly proud of this project and what it represents,” said Allison Hickson, head teacher.
“Creating sustainable environments is important to us and something that children need to be involved in and educated on.
“We are hugely grateful to WEM and all our collaborators and contractors, for believing in the children’s ideas and helping turn them into reality.”
Joe Robinson, Partnership Development Lead at West End Morecambe Big Local, said: “Children’s voices are often forgotten in public consultations, and the scope and imagination of this project shows just how important and inspiring they can be.
“An eco-garden designed by children, for children; we’re delighted to support Sandylands in bringing this wonderful resource to life.”
The school welcomes support from any local businesses able to provide equipment such as tools, wellies and outdoor learning resources.
The project has been made possible thanks to a £47,000 investment from WEM. This funding runs alongside the support of Lancashire County Council.
Comments are closed.