Recently, Fishergate families and staff, as well as students and staff from the Blueberry Academy, have been pitching in to carry out some maintenance to the wonderful Forest School Area, on the school field (originally built by Fishergate family volunteers, and students from the Blueberry Academy). Some people have been able to secure Ward Funding for the area, green token donations from Waitrose, as well as donations of goods from local businesses and environmental charities. Persimmon delivered 10 tonnes of topsoil to the field, which the enthusiastic band of volunteers barrowed in, to build up the climbing mounds. The willow tunnel was trimmed and the whips from it were used to build a woven hurdle fence, in place of the hedge, which didn´t survive last summer´s drought.

Some volunteers were able to use the volunteering time allowed to them by their employer. Does your employer have a scheme like that? Maybe you can help next time.

There is often tea and cake involved, too. There will also be opportunities to get involved with smaller-scale jobs, such as ongoing maintenance- weeding, willow pruning, general tidying up. You don´t have to know the first thing about gardening, it´s a very simple, and enjoyable way of giving back to the school community, if you have a little bit of time you can allocate.