Councillor Karen Holmes visited Northwick Manor Primary School this week to see first-hand the progress being made in the school’s Wellbeing Garden and Allotment — a space created to promote wellbeing, teamwork, and environmental awareness among pupils.
During her visit, Cllr Holmes met with the school’s Wellbeing Advocates, a group of pupils who provide support to their peers and take an active role in maintaining the garden.
Cllr Holmes said “One of the best aspects of being a City Councillor is being able to help children develop into caring, community-spirited adults. The children have formed a team of Wellbeing Advocates to provide support to each other. I was amazed at the confidence expressed by the children when they greeted me.”
The children guided Cllr Holmes around the garden, explaining their plans for growing areas, quiet reflection zones, and bug hotels to encourage wildlife.
“They showed me around their garden allotment and explained their plans for growing areas, quiet reflection areas and bug hotels. I was even presented with a beautiful bunch of sunflowers,” added Cllr Holmes.
“This sturdy garden shed will house their tools for generations of school children. The well-built, solid shed was generously offered by a Claines-based company, Worthington’s Timber, at well below its retail price for the school, which shows how much community spirit we have in our area.”
The new shed was made possible thanks to a £300 donation from Cllr Holmes’ Community Grant Fund, which supported the school’s ongoing development of the Wellbeing Garden.
Head Teacher Miss Najar said “We were delighted to welcome Councillor Karen Holmes to see the fantastic work taking place in our Wellbeing garden and allotment.’
‘The children were so proud to share how they have helped to create and care for this special space. We were extremely grateful to Cllr Holmes for her generous donation of £300, which has been used to purchase a new shed. Her support has made a real difference in helping us continue to develop this area for the benefit of all our pupils.”
The Wellbeing Garden continues to flourish as a collaborative project that encourages pupils to connect with nature, care for their environment, and support one another’s wellbeing.
