Primary school benefits from generosity of local business

Employees from Maxwell Amenity have volunteered their expertise and resource to work with teachers and volunteers from High Ercall Primary School and produce a wildlife habitat learning area for pupils to enjoy.

The staff social committee identify projects where skills and expertise can be volunteered to enhance a local community, in this instance they contacted High Ercall Primary School who were keen to provide additional support of their own staff and parents to establish a woodland area, with a key goal of establishing wildlife habitat.

Unwanted vegetation was removed by the company’s contracts team. Teams of volunteers renovated the school’s pond and added a number of ecological features with key aims of establishing plant diversity and encouraging insects, bird species, bats and hedgehogs. Local stones, ferns, and fescues were utilised to celebrate the geological wonder that is the Wrekin.

Over a period of three months and three volunteer days, the teams landscaped the area, transforming the pond, created a bird hide, revamped the sitting area for pupils. Woodstone bird boxes, insect stations, hedgehog boxes and wildflowers from the company’s ecology ranges were installed. A key goal was to provide pupils with real life learning experiences of the interaction between flora and fauna species.

Head Teacher Mrs Roberts said, “It was great to see such teamwork involved in this positive experience. There was a good mix of staff from Maxwell Amenity and our own, working with a common goal of supporting our children and improving the area. Whilst it was a lot of hard work, all mentioned how satisfying it was to be gardening and working together. Overall a much more environmentally friendly area, attractive and open which will support learning in many areas for all classes.”

Maxwell’s Operations Director, John Richards commented that; “We are very pleased with the outcome. I expect the Forest School to provide the children with many years of fun and learning. We are delighted to be able to use our expertise to help the school in this way.”