£7k grant supports creation of outdoor learning space at Ballyclare school

The Hillmount Avenue school received £7,000 from the programme, which is delivered by Live Here Love Here.

Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the scheme made £2.2 million available to schools, colleges and universities across Northern Ireland, in the form of capital grants ranging from £3,000 to £12,000.

The grants, which were open to projects in both rural and urban settings, will cover 100 per cent of costs to schools, colleges and universities wishing to establish, enhance or develop a pollinator garden and increase pollinator-friendly land-management techniques.

The school recently welcomed Education Minister Michelle McIlveen MLA for a tour of the new outdoor learning environment.

During the visit on October 4, the Minister met with teachers and pupils.

During her visit she officially opened the school’s Sensory Garden and viewed their innovative learning space.

Vice Principal Mr McAllister said: “We have used the money to develop our garden into an innovative and exciting learning space which can be used all year round.

"We have added a stone path around the garden with 10 interpretive panels to support the children’s learning about pollinators and how important they are to the world we live in, and indeed the food we eat.

"The path means the garden is accessible all year round and has already been extensively used by all our classes as part of our Forest School programme.

“We now have an outdoor classroom and various habitats created, including a pollinator garden, for children to make the most of their outdoor learning experiences.

“On top of this, we created a Sensory Garden at the front of school designed especially to support pupils with additional needs. Ultimately, the aim is to improve biodiversity, the health and wellbeing of our staff and pupils, and our local environment.

"We really appreciate the support from Live Here Love Here in funding our vision, and to Allan and his team from Brilliant Trails who did such a wonderful job making our vision come to life. It was a pleasure to have the Education Minister with us as we officially opened the Sensory Garden.”

Helen Tomb, Live Here Love Here Manager, added: “It’s been a great pleasure to deliver the School Pollinator Garden Grants scheme.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for schools to access the capital they need to create a garden that will introduce much-needed pollinators into their local environment and provide excellent learning opportunities for pupils.

“As always, we encourage as many groups as possible to reach out to us if they want to ‘Live Here Love Here’.”

Fairview PS will be staging an open day on Wednesday, November 30 for prospective parents to have a look around the school. The event will provide an opportunity for parents and guardians to see the outside learning environment and provision for Primary 1 pupils.

For further information on Live Here Love Here, visit www.liveherelovehere.org