Stourport school unveils new healthy outdoor trial
A Stourport school now has a £40,000 healthy play and wellbeing trail, providing pupils with fun and fitness.
The three-phase project at St Bartholomew’s CE Primary School has taken two years to complete and includes an extensive range of equipment and an all-weather running track.
Fundraising was led by the Friends of St Bartholomew’s, with a variety of events, boosted by a £15,000 grant from rugby union charity Wooden Spoon and an £8,000 donation from Stourport-based outdoor play equipment manufacturer Brave Toys.
The Friends’ group raised about £13,000 towards the project and the third phase was boosted by a £4,200 Covid Recovery grant from Wyre Forest District Council
Friends’ chairwoman Nadia Mattinson said: "It’d been a great community effort with support across the Walshes estate and Stourport and we are very grateful for all the support.
"The equipment is fantastic and the children love it so much, they’ve had to timetable its usage."
Much of the fundraising was during the Covid pandemic when the Friends’ group had to find innovative ways of fundraising, including online uniform swaps and raffles, the Wyre Forest Community Lottery, Easyfundraising and Smile.Amazon
The equipment includes activity frames, for climbing, swinging and balancing, commando ropes, hurdles, push up beams and pull bars, a tyre step, giant stop watch and a jump tag.
Ian James, headteacher, said: "The equipment provides so much – health and fitness, of course, but also offers active learning opportunities such as using maths to work out best running times for a leader board, and teaches team work, problem-solving, sharing and imaginative play.
"It’s wonderful to watch the children so absorbed in enjoying the equipment and we are indebted to our amazing Friends’ group, Brave Toys, Wooden Spoon, district council and the community for their fantastic support."
