Cool Community Project

04/04/2007

Children at a Billericay school now have a cool new place to play and study thanks to a community initiative.
 
A team of nine Essex & Suffolk Water employees have built a pergola for children at Sunnymede Junior School, Meadoway, Billericay under the company’s ‘Just an Hour’ scheme.

This initiative enables employees to devote at least 12 hours of work time to an approved community cause and is designed to improve local communities and the environment.

The pergola will provide a shady area beside the pond for children to sit under during the hot summer months whilst reading and studying outside environmental projects.

During the two-day project the team also cleared and renovated a pond area which is home to frogs, toads, and dragonflies and built three vegetable nursery beds so that pupils can grow organic produce.

Jacqueline Searle from Essex & Suffolk Water said: "We are delighted to be able to work with the school to provide a shady area for the children to sit during the summer.

"Working on this project gave the employees a real sense of team spirit and achievement."

Karen Cooke, headteacher at the school added: “Our pond has taken on a new lease of life and we will be planting climbers against the pergola very soon. This will give some much needed shade in the summer months.”