BROADACRES DONATE BIRD BOXES FOR LOCAL SCHOOL PROJ

ECO-FRIENDLY children at a North Yorkshire school are flying high thanks to a donation from Broadacres.

As part of our sustainability programme, we recently donated bird boxes to Richmond School

The school has three targets to meet as part of its Eco-Schools agenda and one of these involves increasing biodiversity on the school site.

The bird boxes, which were made for Broadacres by the Veterans Woodcraft charity in Newton Aycliffe, have now been painted by the Richmond School Eco Group and along with bird feeders they have also been making, the school has high hopes that it will encourage more birds onto the site.

Connie Spittlehouse, a teacher at Richmond School who leads the Eco Group, said: “We are very grateful to Broadacres for their kind donation of bird boxes and would like to thank Veterans Woodcraft for making them.

“The children enjoyed decorating them and they will be put to good use across the school site to hopefully encourage more birds to use them in the nesting season.

“We gained our Eco-Schools international accreditation in 2022, so this is a great example of how we are continuously striving to make Richmond School a better environment for all.”

Catherine Cannell, Sustainability Officer at Broadacres, said: “It’s pleasing to see schools in our local communities embracing sustainability, which is something very important to use here at Broadacres as we strive to achieve net zero carbon status by 2050.

“Everyone has a part to play in improving the environment, whether that’s protecting or creating areas for wildlife, planting trees, growing your own fruit and/or vegetables or providing outdoor space for local communities to enjoy.

“That’s one of the reasons why we established a sustainability fund to support local projects which benefit the environment or enhance sustainable development in local communities.

Veterans Woodcraft was set up in 2015 by a group of ex-servicemen – many of whom had suffered from mental health issues as a result of service.

Armed with tools donated by the public, this group of volunteers delivered woodcraft courses to veterans as a means of helping those who were battling against PTSD and physical injury. By working with wood and learning new skills, veterans find new purpose and that in turn enables them to rediscover confidence and rebuild their lives.

People who would like to apply or find out more about Broadacres’ Sustainability Fund can visit www.broadacres.org.uk/customer-area/getting-involved/sustainability-fund/