Visitors make a real difference at school

Double boost at Mavisbank thanks to helping hands

Pupils and staff at Mavisbank School received a little help from their friends as volunteers from Lloyds Bank visited for one of their regular “make a difference” days.

Workers from the company visited the Airdrie school to carry out a range of tasks in the grounds to spruce up the surroundings for summer.

Their day of work also coincided with another set of visitors – miniature Shetland ponies Buttons and Fudge and representatives from Salsburgh charity Ponies Help Children.

Around a dozen volunteers from Lloyds took on tasks such as cutting grass, weeding, power washing and litter picking in the school’s Mitchell Street grounds.

They also created an outdoor sensory area, and rejuvenated their previously-created textures wall, which allows pupils to explore the environment around them by interacting with items ranging from velvet to feathers.

Depute head Eileen McDonnell told the Advertiser: “We have a great relationship with our friends at Lloyds.

“They’ve been coming up to do ‘make a difference’ days for the past seven years and we’d be lost without them.

“They did a great job of the gardens and picked up around 30 bags of litter from the grounds, as well as sprucing up the front of the building with plants, creating some art resources and one of the gentlemen leading a singalong at lunchtime.

“All the work means the place is looking great for the end of term and we’ve been able to get out and make great use of our outdoor space for different lessons in the sun and to enjoy the garden.

“We really appreciat e everything that the Lloyds team, led by Michelle Stewart who’s the project co-ordinator, do for us.”

Eileen added: “It was fantastic to have Ponies Help Children there on the same day – Buttons and Fudge were just gorgeous and it was lovely to have the charity visiting us.

“We’re always glad to have different people coming in to visit, and the children really enjoy interacting with new people and with the animals.”

Here to help Ponies Help Children joined Lloyds Bank volunteers at Mavisbank School