CWMBRAN schoolchildren have designed and built a wooded forest area for outdoor activities following a grant from Tesco.

Tesco provided the £1,000 grant to Henllys Church in Wales School. Pupils then designed the area with help from the Friends of Henllys Local Nature Reserve and was constructed by children in the school’s key worker hub.

Every child in the school contributed to the new area by planting their own tree.

The space allows pupils to combine outdoor learning and team-building activities. There is a rope puzzle, fire pit and a wildflower meadow on the way to help increase biodiversity in the school grounds.

Henllys Church in Wales School headteacher, Philippa Minto, said: “We are so pleased with our forest area and our pupils love using it. The success of the area is due to the very generous grant we received from Tesco, the help and support of the Friends of Henllys P.T.A, the Friends of Henllys Local Nature Reserve and the enthusiasm of the pupils who helped design and build it.

“Pupil voice is a huge part of our curriculum and the children are already using their creative skills to think of outdoor activities that they want to take part in. The wellbeing of the pupils and staff has been greatly enhanced as a result of the regeneration of our school grounds.”

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Tesco community manager, Keith Jackson, said: “We’ve been delighted to have been able to support Henllys Church in Wales School and it is great to hear how the funding has been used to enhance the learning and wellbeing of its pupils.

“We’re encouraging even more charities, community groups and organisations in Wales to apply for funding as we hope to see the fantastic work they provide to continue long into the future.”

Groundwork’s UK chief executive, Graham Duxbury, said: “The last year has been extremely difficult for everyone, and that includes community groups and charities who have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Many groups have seen a surge in demand for their services while volunteer numbers decrease, which has caused mounting pressure.

“We’re delighted to be working with Tesco to provide these much-needed funds, which will help to support local communities as we recover from the pandemic.”

In 2020, more than 10,000 groups across the UK were given grants totalling more than £7.9m by Tesco.

Tesco’s community grants support thousands of local community projects and good causes across the UK. The scheme is open to registered charities and not-for-profit organisations, and eligible organisations can apply for a grant by visiting https://tescocommunitygrants.org.uk