Budding classmates

02/07/2007

Children from a County Durham school are soon to reap what they have sown with the support of local businesses.

Northumbrian Water and several other organisations have helped to bring Howden le Wear Primary School’s wildlife garden, which includes a wildlife meadow, butterfly garden, sensory garden, bog garden and a story telling area, to life.

The garden, which is to be used by the 74 pupils aged between four and eleven as an outdoor classroom, will be visited by a gang of life-size superheroes during the official opening tomorrow morning (Tuesday, July 3 2007).

Reporters and photographers are invited to attend the garden opening at Howden le Wear Primary School, School Street, Howden le Wear (near Crook) on Tuesday, July 3 2007 from 10.15am.

Pupils, Bethany Maybury and Matthew Searle, both aged 11, and Northumbrian Water’s project manager, Graham Watson, will officially open the garden before the children meet the water company’s ‘H2O’ Gang and hear about the gang’s adventures from a professional story-teller.  Tomorrow is the first time a professional story-teller will use the large wonderful wooden chair in the garden (weather permitting)!  He will read stories from the first two Northumbrian Water superhero comics.

Bethany Maybury, who is in year six and lives in Billy Row, Crook, said:  “I am so excited about the garden and think we will all learn lots from it.  We are encouraging it to grow by making our own compost with food recycled form the kitchen and anything else we can use.  Our next big project is to build a greenhouse using plastic pop bottles and wooden poles – that should be fun!”

Graham Watson, Northumbrian Water’s project manager, said:  “We laid the foundations of the garden after work was completed to upgrade a sewer pipe which runs through the school’s grounds.  It is great that so many children, now and in the future, will benefit from the garden.  Our support of projects like this demonstrates that as well as supplying our customers with essential services we are also immersed in the life of the local communities we serve.”

Other organisations who have contributed to the garden include Northumbrian Water’s contractor, Seymour Civil Engineering, Crook Rotary who funded the wooden chair, carpenter Graham Addison who made the chair, Friends of the School who funded extra seating, Batsons who designed the garden, Durham Wildlife Trust who helped children plant seeds and Wear Valley District Council who provided the compost bins.

Characters Karl, Kelly, Jermaine, Bethany and Splash make up Northumbrian Water’s ‘H2O Gang’ and each have their own super power which is activated when they drink tap water.  Dr Dry and his henchman, Drip, are evil and want to rule the world by stealing or wasting all water – it is up to the ‘H2O Gang’ to stop them!  They help spread the message to children that water is precious and vital for life. 

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For further information, and to confirm if you are coming to the garden opening, contact Cara Hall, Northumbrian Water, on 0191 301 6720.

Val McCourt, head teacher from Howden le Wear Primary School, will also provide further information about the garden on 01388 763 287.