Severn Trent volunteers will be digging deep to help a Gloucestershire school create an edible garden and sensory space for pupils to enjoy and learn about nature.

Greatfield Park Primary School in Cheltenham recently won the water company’s first NeighbourGOOD award and £2,500 in funding, plus the offer of a helping hand from its staff.

The team of helpers will be transforming an overgrown nature area into a vibrant educational space on 20^th and 21^st March. It will feature an edible garden, sensory space, and wildflower patch to provide hands-on learning opportunities for pupils, as well as offering community engagement through workshops and an after-school gardening club.

Greatfield School PTA successfully applied for the NeighbourGood award. A spokesperson said: “We're all about enriching the education of children at Greatfield Park Primary School. At a time when school budgets are so stretched, we're delighted to have the funding and volunteer time from Severn Trent to enable us to transform our overgrown nature area into an exciting new outdoor learning space.

“We're planning a rope bridge, investigation station, mud kitchen, and raised beds themed around the five senses. We just know the children are going to love getting hands on with nature!"

The project was chosen as the Gloucestershire winner of NeighbourGOOD in an online vote after impressing a panel of independent local figures, including councillors and journalists.

Megan Aplin, Societal Strategy Delivery Manager at Severn Trent, said: “We’re determined to make our region a better place by being more than just a water company to our communities.

“NeighbourGOOD is just one of the ways we are helping our communities, along with our Community Fund and affordability and employability schemes.”