West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper visited Rufford CofE Primary School on Friday to take part in the formal opening of the school’s new eco garden and outdoor classroom.
Friends of Rufford School, the charity for the PTA, invited her along to the opening of ‘Eden@Rufford’, an eco garden with pond dipping, den building and mini-beast activities to enhance the children’s curriculum.
The project also extended to include the construction of an outdoor classroom complete with a sensory path, music wall and a stage.
Eden@Rufford was created to celebrate 30 years of The Friends of Rufford School - and leave a legacy for the children to enjoy for many years to come.
Head pupils Libby and Harrison and deputies Ella and Frankie took Rosie around their new additions and discussed how all the children submitted their ideas for the garden so they could shape how it would turn out.
Afterwards, Rosie told QLocal: "It was an absolute pleasure to visit the school, meet with the teachers, parents, governors and particularly the children, including the head girls and boys who welcomed me to their community.
“They gave me a lovely tour of the new additions, including the music wall and showed me how each child had contributed to the whole project through their ideas and painting their own unique stone which was incorporated into the sensory path.
“Congratulations to Mrs Latham and all the team who have put so much hard work into pulling the funds together to give the children of Rufford these alternative learning spaces which will offer so much opportunities to learn in different ways and about our environment.”
Mrs Trudy Latham, the Friends of Rufford School Treasurer, added: “I’d like to thank those who invested their time and money into our 30th birthday fundraising project.
"Our initial designs were transformed into a professional graphic design which allowed us to introduce our plans to parents and investors by the very talented iSight Design.
“We then worked hard to secure funding from The Morrisons Foundation who generously donated £4,000 and Community Link Foundation, Southport who donated £400. The rest of the funds were raised by our parent community who we would like to thank for their ongoing support.
“A huge thanks also goes to the local businesses who donated their time, materials and labour and to Marbec Landscapes and team for their expertise in creating this impressive nurturing space and for sourcing donations from Jewsons Ormskirk, A1 plant hire, Rufford and Firwoods, Burscough.
“Eden@Rufford is the fantastic result of a whole community in support of local education!”