Member Article

School unveils sensory garden with support from housebuilder

Hampsthwaite Church of England Primary School in Harrogate, North Yorkshire has unveiled a new sensory garden for students to enjoy. In light of a limited budget to fund the garden, local housebuilder, David Wilson Homes, donated both construction materials and labour to help get the project completed.

With the launch event attracting pupils, parents, teachers and members of the local community alike, the finished garden was highly anticipated and includes a range of interesting features. From large fabric-woven flowers, and animals made out of logs and twigs (or ‘logimals’), to musical instruments, concrete animals and wind chimes, the garden is designed to stimulate the senses and the imagination of young children. Research also suggests that sensory gardens can help improve the educational development and social interaction of children with special needs[1].

The partnership between the school and David Wilson Homes Yorkshire East came about as a result of the housebuilder’s Grange Park collection of premium homes, which has recently launched in Brookfield, Hampsthwaite village. The development offers a range of three, four, and five bedroom homes amidst the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. So, while contributing to the resident growth in the village, David Wilson Homes is also helping to foster closer ties with the local area and support local initiatives and community projects.

Leonna Hardcastle, Sales Manager at Barratt Homes Yorkshire East, commented: “At David Wilson Homes we’re committed to working with local communities and helping to forge closely integrated neighbourhoods. The sensory garden at Hampsthwaite Primary School was a great chance for us to get involved in a worthwhile and rewarding cause that’s helping to inspire imaginations and improve the learning experience of school children. We jumped at the chance to contribute and hope the pupils enjoy their new outdoor space.”

Andrew Phoenix, Headteacher at Hampsthwaite Church of England Primary School, said: “David Wilson Homes has been so supportive of the project and we’re very grateful for their time and effort in helping to realise this new space for the children. The inspiration for our sensory garden came following a class visit to Henshaws, a local charity which has close links to our school. Some of the Henshaws Artmakers came to visit our garden, and everyone is delighted with it. I am sure the garden will bring real benefits to all children in our school.”

The new garden was completed shortly after the announcement that Barratt Developments Yorkshire East, which includes the Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands, has been awarded with a 5-star rating in the Home Builders Federation customer satisfaction survey for 2017 for the eighth consecutive year. With a strategic goal of building high quality homes designed to create strong communities, Barratt Developments continually places customers first and aims to bring about benefits to the regions it works in through investment and partnerships. The housebuilder’s contribution to Hampsthwaite’s sensory garden is but one example of the results this approach affords.

[1] Hazreena Hussein, Using the sensory garden as a tool to enhance the educational development and social interaction of children with special needs, Support for Learning 24:1, 25-31, 2010. http://accessiblegardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/How-to-build-Sensory-Gardens.pdf

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Savage .