Charvil youngsters litter picking to fundraise for new school sensory garden

A trio of primary school friends from Charvil are litter picking this weekend to help fundraise towards the creation of a sensory garden at their school.
 
Jessica Hilling and Rose Brown, both 10, and Megan Jeffery, 9, will ‘Junk for Joy’ with the aim of collecting 10kg of litter across a 10km route around the village.
 
The girls’ fundraiser is part of a larger ’10k Your Way’ campaign which saw the Charvil Piggott School Association (CPSA) invite pupils’ to complete 10k over the weekend of Friday, June 25 to Sunday, June 27 to raise funds towards their £2,000 target to design and install a sensory garden at Charvil Piggott Primary School.

 
Discussing the challenge, Jessica’s mum, Sarah Hilling, said: “The school are trying to raise money for a sensory garden and they’ve invited all the families to get involved.
 
“Megan, Jessica and Rose got their heads together to think of a way to complete 10k and because it didn’t specify it had to be kilometres, they decided to collect 10 kilograms of rubbish in their local area, because they’ve been doing lots on the environment at school at the moment.”
 
Other pupils taking part in the ‘10k Your Way’ challenge are completing a range of different activities including running, kayaking, swimming and cycling.
 
Jessica, Rose and Megan, all in year 5 at the school, have currently raised £80 of their £100 target. 
 
The sensory garden which is being designed and installed to redevelop an underused part of the school’s outside space, will promote and support mental health and emotional wellbeing by ‘stimulating the senses and providing an area of calm’.

It will feature a host of plants, chosen for their scent, feel and look, as well as planters, seating and areas for the children to explore. 
 
An outdoor summer house will also be developed, providing additional teaching space for small groups and the area will also provide a space for children to use during lunchtime and break time.
 
Of the girls’ efforts, Sarah added: “We are really proud of the three girls for for thinking up the idea themselves and doing something a little bit more creative and thinking about their own environment as well as trying to improve their school as well.”

 
Rose’s mum, Sarah Brown, said: “Rose is really looking forward to the litter pick with Jess and Megan.
 
“I’m really pleased that the girls have decided to do something that will not only help to raise money for the school, but will also benefit the local community.”

Megan's mum, Cathy Jeffery, said: "I am so proud of the girls for coming up with such an amazing idea.

"They are keen to do all they can to help the environment and this is a great way to do just that whilst benefitting the local community as well."
 
Louise May, deputy headteacher at Charvil Piggott Primary School, said: “[The] school are delighted that Megan, Jessica and Rose are using their initiative in such an inventive fashion to not only raise money for the school, but also to help the environment on their way.
 
“They are giving us a shining example of our curriculum drivers of community, conservation and character in one fell swoop.

"We are very grateful to all the families who are getting involved and helping to support the school in this way.”
 
Jessica, Rose and Megan’s fundraiser can be viewed at: https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/junk-for-joy-with-jess-megan-and-rose?fbclid=IwAR1kGVUBEaLS-bOu-6ka9VGs5E_iUIUu5MYcBE41vLomVwpgEugKLUrXBoc