Building a better brighter future
Community project gets pupils out and about
As the school holidays become a distant memory and children settle back into the classroom, East Kilbride Community Trust are making plans to get them out and about again.
The local charity succeeded in this before the summer, when pupils from Greenhills Primary School Additional Support Needs Base learned how our community is built from the ground up.
During the outdoor learning project, the pupils were taken to see the foundations of a community being laid – literally.
EKCT trustee James Kean and
charity volunteer Max McAneny showed the children around construction sites where the foundations of houses were being laid.
The youngsters wanted to lend a hand and got the chance to climb aboard a digger.
In the following weeks the children visited the site to follow the progress of the houses being built, learn about the materials used and see how services are brought in.
The youngsters were made to feel part of the team as they were kitted out in their hard hats and hi-viz vests. The Trust’s project also saw the youngsters visit a farm in the area where they met the newborn lambs and calves.
One of the highlights of the project was a fantastic trip to the shores of Loch Fyne where they saw an outhouse and play equipment being built and got the chance to try out the zip wire and swings.
The was more to come, however, and the pupils also learned about the importance of leisure and recreation opportunities for those in our community.
Led by EKCT’s new community woodland engagement officer Gail Ferguson, staff and pupils took a walk around an area of Peel Park that the charity are starting to develop as a community woodland. Enjoying some beautiful views and an abundance of wild flowers, the children couldn’t believe they were only 10 minutes from their school.
EKCT chief executive Monique McAdams was delighted when, by way of thanks, the pupils presented her with a fantastic scrapbook packed with pictures and stories of their time on the Our Community Project.
If you want to find out more about EKCT’s future plans for getting pupils out and about, the Trust can be contacted by calling 01355 576005 or emailing info@ekct. co.uk – they would be glad to hear from you.