Shropshire's High Sheriff visits Market Drayton School following £1,000 boost
Shropshire's High Sheriff has visited a Market Drayton school after securing £1,000 in funding to continue growing its outdoor learning space.
Longlands Primary School takes pride in its outdoor learning, which includes an allotment to which the children contribute and take care of chickens and guinea pigs.
Now, their farming project has received a funding boost through Oswestry firm Aico's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, thanks to Shropshire's High Sheriff Dean Harris.
She said: “When the team at Longlands Primary School approached me to help them find funding for their mental health and wellbeing workshops, I was thrilled to be able to secure £800 from Aico, who have dedicated their CSR programme to helping my causes during my shrieval year, and a further £200 from NFU Mutual. Huge thanks to both organisations for enabling this project to go ahead.
“Childhood deprivation is a core focus of my year as High Sheriff – and it’s become even more important due to the upheaval and stress felt by all children, but particularly those classed as vulnerable, during the pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
“As an animal lover myself, I know the therapeutic effects pets can have, and so I wholeheartedly support the social farm and the mental health workshops being run by Longlands staff.”
Mrs Harris toured the farm and saw the progress on the new duck enclosure. She was presented with a basket bearing gifts from the allotment, including beans, pea, carrots, potatoes and eggs from the social farm's family of chickens.
A statement from the school said: “We are extremely grateful of the support Dean has shown us, not just with our social farm but also with an exciting sporting programme currently being developed. Without her support we would not be able to offer our pupils these workshops.”
