Apex Action Renovates School Garden   

In August 2018 the Apex Action team embarked on a 3-day garden makeover challenge.  The aim was to create a more visually appealing, user friendly & educational outside space for pupils at St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School in Knutsford, Cheshire.

The first task was to clear the overgrown site, stripping the undergrowth, cutting back the hedges & pruning trees.   The garden was already home to a greenhouse, however there was lack of potting benches & places to work.  Consequently, the team have built a super-sized bench that can now be used for a variety of activities.

The existing vegetable & flower beds were also old.  The weather had taken its toll on them over the years & they were starting to rot.  In addition, they did not have enough space in between them to allow for easy planting & maintenance.  So, the old beds have been dug up, repositioned & replaced with new, tougher wood.   One of the beds has also been designed to be taller than the rest to ensure the garden offered an inclusive environment for all pupils.

Concluding the project with a general tidy & the site has been transformed, ready to be put to good use when the pupils return from their summer break!

Miss Hughes, Teaching Assistant at St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School who also helped in the planning of the project, commented:

“The outdoor area that was redeveloped by Apex has made a great difference to the way we use the space. The addition of the new planting bench means the children now have a safe & accessible space to work together. Additionally, having the ability to use the sides of the planters as perching benches allows the children to rest, read a story or garden in the flower beds.

These changes will help the school utilize the space to teach children about growing plants, fruit & vegetables. We hope to use the produce we grow to teach the children how to cook simple, healthy meals.

The school & the children are so grateful for Apex’s support.”

“Apex Action” is Apex’s volunteering & funding initiative for school & community projects.  They are always up for a challenge & doing something a bit different!  If you’d like to see whether they can support your project contact Debbie on debbie.snelson@apexconnected.com or call 01948 302066 to discuss further.