Our colleagues in Leeds took a day out of the office recently to volunteer for a ‘Make a Difference Day,’ helping to create an outdoor play area for St. Oswald’s C of E Junior School in Guiseley.
The day provided us with a great social and team-building opportunity, whilst also allowing us to meaningfully contribute to the learning environment for the primary school’s youngest children. We’re grateful for the dedication from our volunteers and their teamwork in pooling together the equipment needed to make this day a success.
Our 10-strong Leeds team contacted parents, local organisations, and businesses to source materials, equipment, and volunteers for the day. They wasted no time rolling up their sleeves and diving straight into gardening, landscaping, and setting up play facilities.
Working together with parents and teachers, the team revamped a dilapidated grassy area into an outdoor education and play area, complete with a sensory garden, buddy benches, mud kitchen, bug hotel, water cascade, quiet zone, sand pit, butterfly borders, and much more.
Marc Jackson, Associate Ecologist, who led our volunteering efforts at the school, said:
“As an ecologist, it’s been fantastic to create something for children to engage in nature and the outdoor environment at the school. The team had a lot of fun on the day and the highlight was seeing the teacher’s response to the transformation. I’m sure the kids are going to love the mud pit and kitchen!”