Lucky schoolchildren will have their eyes opened to the wonders of the coastline and forest, thanks to a grant of nearly £4,000 from Tesco.
Milford-on-Sea Primary School Academy Trust will use the £3,750 to provide a real-life beach experience for their Y5/6 pupils and a Forest School environment for their younger pupils.
Amanda Tanner, the school’s governor, said it is essential that young people get to experience the coastline and forest and enjoy its wildlife for themselves.
She applied for the funding from Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme, which has been running for four years in collaboration with the charity Groundwork.
Amanda added: “We’re very grateful to Tesco for this grant. The importance of outdoor learning for children in our community cannot be underestimated. The benefits have a positive effect on their health and wellbeing.
“We believe it is vital that they learn to respect and enjoy the forest and beaches that surround them, so we aim to provide opportunities for all our children to explore their environment and learn how to keep safe.
“At the end of every beach school session, a beach clean is conducted and many of the materials collected are used for arts-and-crafts projects. We welcome volunteers to take part and share the experiences, which is deeply rewarding for pupils and adults alike.”
Milford-on-Sea (C of E) Primary School Academy Trust is one of three local community organisations and charities to benefit from the Bags of Help coastal funding. Forest Arts Centre in New Milton received £2,000, while New Forest Transition in Lymington was given £1,000.
Bags of Help sees funding awarded to thousands of local community projects every year. In 42 seaside towns during May and June, customers voted for coastal projects nominated by groups working around the coasts of Britain to receive funding.
David Page, Tesco’s Head of Community, said: “We are very proud of the impact Bags of Help has had in communities across Britain. The funding scheme responds to the needs of local communities, which is why in Hampshire we listened to colleagues and customers and decided to dedicate a round to groups and charities improving and preserving our wonderful coastlines.”
Bags of Help has provided more than £80million to more than 27,000 community projects across the UK.
Customers cast their Bags of Help votes for various good causes by using blue tokens handed out at checkout points in their local store.
Graham Duxbury, Groundwork’s National Chief Executive, said: “Bags of Help continues to enable local communities up and down Britain to improve their local spaces and the places that matter to them. We’re pleased to be able to be a part of the journey and provide support and encouragement to groups enjoying, protecting and improving Britain’s coastlines.”
