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60 colleagues from Manchester Airport have donated around 320 hours of the their to support projects to create sensory gardens at two schools local to the hub.
Airport staff were also joined by teams from third-party partners, including Manchester City Council and MACE, the contractor leading on the £1.3 billion redevelopment of Terminal 2, to help transform outdoor spaces at two schools in Wythenshawe, each less than 3 miles from the airport site.
The project at Crossacres Primary Academy (pictured) has rejuvenated its forest school, which had become overgrown and difficult for children to access, with work worth over £12,000. Volunteers cleared excess vegetation and constructed 13 raised flowerbeds, repaired a wooden gazebo used as a classroom – including waterproofing it and adding guttering – installed a bench to the fire pit area, and repaved pathways.
The new Forest School, which is shared with Ashgate Special Support School, seeks to create a space for pupils to learn about natural habitats in their area, and how to protect them.
Meanwhile at St Paul’s Catholic High School, volunteers from the airport and its partners cut back overgrown vegetation, cleared raised beds and tidied up paths over the school summer holidays, with plans for installing new fencing and renovating outdoor spaces in the coming weeks. The refreshed space will give the school’s 950 pupils a dedicated outdoor learning space when completed.
Julie Walker, Community Engagement Manager at Manchester Airport, said:
“Manchester Airport is proud of the role it plays in supporting its surrounding communities and being a good neighbour is really important to us, so we were delighted to get such a fantastic response from colleagues and our partner organisations when we put out a call for volunteers to help with these projects.
“The airport has had a record-breaking year and is here to serve the whole of the north, but we’re especially keen that local communities share in our success, whether that’s through employment or through improvements to local amenities, and schemes like this are a fantastic way to give something back.”
Ryan Coughlan, School Business Manager for Saint Paul’s Catholic High School, said:
“We’re very grateful for the incredible work that the team of volunteers from Manchester Airport have done in transforming our school sensory garden back into a beautiful and usable space. Their dedication, hard work, and passion have truly made a significant difference.
“The new garden will provide our students with a serene and stimulating environment to enjoy, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on our school community.”
The Sensory Garden project is the latest in a string of schemes that the airport’s Community Engagement team has worked on with local schools – including a competition to win £25,000 for a new eco-garden, to mark 25 years of the airport’s Community Trust Fund in 2022.