Evelyn Street Primary Academy - Memorial Garden Project

PUPILS at Evelyn Street Primary Academy marked World Mental Health Day by giving local MP Andy Carter a preview of a new Community Memorial Garden.

The space, which will be a place for pupils and members of the school’s local community to enjoy, is being created with the help of a £10,000 grant from the National Lottery Community Fund.

The funds are being used to create an artificial grass area and produce garden, while trees in the garden will have commemorative plaques bearing the names of late pupils and staff and family members who lost their lives during the covid pandemic.

Jacqueline Breeze, a learning mentor at the school, is leading the project to create the garden with school business manager Emma Leigh. “It will be a place for reflection for the children, parents and the wider community and people will be able to drop in for advice on mental health and welfare advice as well. In time they will also be able to use the space to grow and help themselves to produce.”

“It was great that Mr Carter could spend some time with us on the day. He said he loved our school and planned to be back soon to do a democracy session with our Year 6 pupils. He also picked some apples with pupils in the garden and took some to eat on his travels.”

Evelyn Street Learning Mentor, Jacqueline Breeze, with Andy Carter MP and pupils Alyssa and Marios, who were both wearing yellow to mark world Mental Health Day