Over 80 volunteers helped to transform the outdoor spaces of Penrhys Primary School as part of an initiative to improve communities across Rhondda Cynon Taff.
The Time for Change initiative is run by Trivallis, and sees volunteers give up their time and skills to make real changes to the lives of people across communities in Rhondda Cynon Taff.
Lisa Roberts leads on organising Time for Change projects at Trivallis, she said: “It’s amazing to see everyone, including parents and guardians of children who attend the school, coming together and making such a huge difference to the community.
“We chose Penrhys Primary School for one of our Time for Change projects as we have over 200 homes in the area, with many of the children who live in them attending the school. Trivallis is committed to investing in Penrhys and we’re so pleased that we were able to achieve so much in just one day with the help of our volunteers and the support of the community.”
Work to the school included planting to create an enchanted garden, painting of benches and games in the yard and weeding of the car park to improve space and improve safety and access for cars.
According to the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, outdoor play supports children’s problem-solving skills and nurtures their creativity, as well as providing rich opportunities for their developing imagination, inventiveness and resourcefulness.
Rhian Poacher, Headteacher at Penrhys Primary School said: “We’re very grateful to Trivallis and the team of volunteers who came to help us to revamp our playground.
“It’s really important that the children have a lovely environment in which to learn, flourish and to play. We hope that this transformation will give them better enjoyment of their learning as they’re able to access the outdoor areas.”
A recent survey by Learning Through Landscapes in Wales also reported that 84% of schools that have improved their grounds found that children’s social interaction had improved.
Sian Sullivan is a parent from Penrhys who volunteered on the day, she said: “The kids have now got freedom here. They can go out and play instead of sitting on computers all day, it’s really brightened it up.”
Organisations that donated staff time and materials on the day include Severn Environmental Services, Coleg Y Cymoedd and Jewson.
For more information on Trivallis and the communities it supports through Time for Change, follow @WeAreTrivallis on Facebook or Twitter.