Blooming marvellous
Builders give pupils a hand with garden
A Cambuslang primary school’s plans to build a sensory garden received a boost recently as a local housing developer handed over £500.
St Charles Primary wants to create a garden where pupils will be encouraged to explore all five senses and experience the sights, sounds and tranquillity of the new space that’s being created.
The school’s ambitions received a boost recently when Taylor Wimpey West of Scotland made a donation and offered up staff to clear and prepare the ground ahead of the installation of new sensory plants and benches.
A water feature and wind chimes will add further sensory dimensions to the new outdoor learning environment.
Eileen Feeley, deputy head teacher at St Charles, said: “We were thrilled when Taylor Wimpey said they could help us with our unusual request because without their assistance we were concerned that it just wouldn’t have been possible to start our new sensory garden this year.
“They have given us a great helping hand to get the area cleared, and that means that we can use their generous donation towards creating some of the lovely features that we want to include within our new garden space.
“We want to create a stimulating and rewarding environment from what was an underused strip of ground that had become overgrown and with Taylor Wimpey’s help we’re now well on our way to achieving our ambitions for the space.
“Having a sensory garden will be a real bonus for both our children and staff, and we’re very excited that Taylor Wimpey has been able to get us up and running.
“The children will be fully involved in choosing what plants and vegetables to grow in our new garden, as well as other aspects which we hope to include such as wind chimes and a water feature.
“I’m sure they’ll make a great job of creating a garden that we’re all very proud of.”
As work continues at Taylor Wimpey’s neighbouring Newton Farm development, the site team were more than happy to offer a helping hand.
Audrey Ross, sales and marketing director for Taylor Wimpey West Scotland, said: “We’re always keen to offer our support within the local communities in which we build, and we were delighted to be able to help with this unique request from St Charles Primary School.
“Creating a sensory garden within the school playground will provide a new space for children to learn as well as play and I’m sure it will be a very rewarding experience for the children as they watch their garden grow and mature.”