Shrewsbury canopy business donates equipment worth £16,000 to help schools with Covid restrictions
A Shropshire canopy business donated more than £16,000 worth of equipment to schools across the UK facing tougher coronavirus restrictions.
The gesture by A&S Landscape allowed 43 schools to develop and improve their outdoor learning and break facilities, helping them cope with increased measures surrounding coronavirus.
The initiative came from the Shrewsbury-based business's new Community Recycle Scheme, which sees employees hand out shade sails and other canopy products to communities that could benefit from them.
The scheme meant children were able to use the outdoor areas for learning and playing safely.
Victoria Scott-Ison, manager of the Community Recycle Scheme at A&S Landscape, said: “With an increasing amount of evidence showing that the virus isn’t as easily transmitted in outdoor settings, it became clear that schools needed to utilise their external areas to keep everyone safe.
"The team had the idea of donating some of our outdoor equipment to schools all over the country so that they could receive the help they needed, when they needed it."
The equipment ranged from protective padding worth about £100, to shade sails worth about £1,500.
Stottesdon Church of England (CofE) Primary School in south-east Shropshire was among the beneficiaries, and received a shade sail worth £150 for pupils to use.
Other schools which received donations included Priory Primary School in Dudley, which benefitted from post pads worth £400, and Cherry Oak School in Birmingham, which received a shade sail worth £1,500.
The donations spread to schools across England and Wales, to the benefit of pupils and teaching staff in Worcestershire, London, Birmingham, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, Dorset, Lincolnshire, Cardiff and Surrey.
The Community Recycle is a scheme established by companies operating within the external school environment sector.
The initiative collects, coordinates and donates overstocked, unsellable items, returned goods and second-hand equipment to schools in communities across the UK.
The eco-friendly scheme helps to ensure goods that would otherwise be left in storage or go to waste are put to good use, saving schools money and brightening up grounds.
For more information on the Community Recycle Scheme, visit aandslandscape.co.uk/community-recycle-scheme
