New playground for pupils thanks to dads’ fundraising

PUPILS at St Anne’s Primary School are sliding and swinging around on new outdoor learning equipment after their plans became a reality thanks to determined fundraising dads.

Lee Dyer, Danny Cocking, Jonny Simpson, Carl Cross, Steven Rigby, Steven Wilde, Sean Wilson, Lee Renner, and driver Richard Taylor took on the gruelling Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for the equipment.

They conquered Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowden in less than 24 hours in May and handed over £2,096 in sponsorship to the Lydgate school.

That enabled them to turn into a reality their hopes of having outdoor learning equipment for the Reception Class and the Before and After School Club.

Pupils at the Grand Opening of the outdoor equipment

Mrs Galbraith and Miss Jenkinson were looking for something to help develop the pupils’ physical skills and confidence, as well as manage ‘risk taking’ in a controlled environment.

The School Council was involved to give a ‘pupil voice’ and have an input on the plans for the equipment, which includes a pull-up rope, slide, two towers, a scramble net, and artificial grass.

Building began in October and then the equipment was unveiled at a special assembly and ribbon cutting ceremony in November.

Miss Jenkinson, reception class teacher, told the assembly: “Staff, parents, friends, governors and children have all come together to make this school better for us all.

“We wouldn’t have been able to do it without their help and commitment.

“The dads took on such a huge challenge to support us and that means an awful lot.

“This project started last year and it has taken a long time to get here but we will now have it for many years to come and we are really pleased and excited.”

Reception class children cut the ribbon to officially declare the equipment in use.

And there are already plans for ‘phase 2’ which will see rollover bars and a traversing forest installed for the KS2 pupils.

 

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