The forest school was set up just over two years ago in an effort to promote children getting involved in more outdoor activities and help them to develop a lifelong relationship with the natural world. The children who attend Forest School are between 4 and 9 years old and the resources which were bought to start the programme have been in need of replacing and extending after wear and tear.
The Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of children by helping to foster resilience, confidence, independence and creativity. Children participate in a range of activities from bug hunting and building dens to exploring pond areas and tree climbing. Our donation will help the school extend the range of learning activities offered while enabling the children to continue to benefit from spending time outside all year round.
The donation comes following our nationwide campaign encouraging people across the country to get outdoors and play. Our recent research has revealed that over 5 million parents in the UK say their children have no access to outdoor play or nature spaces within walking distance to their home, contributing to a continued decline in children playing outside. Meanwhile, in the South East, over three quarters (79%) of parents think playing outside can have a positive impact on their child’s mental health and physical health (77%) while over two thirds (67%) think it can help them to develop social skills.
Melanie Sherrington, Forest School Teacher at Awbridge Primary, said: “Spending time outdoors is a vital part of childhood. We set up this forest school after the pandemic as many children lost their connection with the outdoors and we wanted to ensure kids continued to learn about nature. Our children really benefit from spending time outside, connecting with nature and learning how to care for our environment.
“On behalf of everyone at the Awbridge Forest School, I would like to thank Redrow for their generous donation. The new equipment will help us to ensure our kids continue to learn about and explore the outdoors.”
The donation is part of Redrow Southern Counties’ Community Fund which launched this year. The fund provides organisations, schools and groups at the heart of the community with donations to help them thrive. We have also provided investment in the areas surrounding our developments, including contributions toward education, healthcare, public transport and affordable housing.
Mark Vanson, Sales Director at Redrow Southern Counties, said: “Play is an essential part of being a child which benefits their mental and physical health. The ability to play is a key priority for us at Redrow which is why we have designated open spaces for play and recreation areas across our developments.
“As part of this, we are thrilled we can support Awbridge Primary’s Forest School which not only helps children spend more time outdoors but also teaches them about nature and provides them with important safety and social skills.”
Our Southern Counties division, headquartered in Basingstoke, has a range of energy-efficient homes available across their developments in Hampshire, Berkshire, West Sussex & Dorset.
To find out more please visit Redrow Hampshire.
