Peasedown Councillor’s Fund allocates £500 for new school polytunnel

Pupils and staff at Peasedown St John Primary School are celebrating this week after securing funding and being gifted a brand new polytunnel.

One of the village’s Bath & North East Somerset Councillors allocated £500 from his Ward Councillor’s Empowerment Fund to not only purchase the tunnel – but he recruited a team of volunteers to put it up as well!

Cllr Gavin Heathcote (Independent, Peasedown) said:

“Learning about the great outdoors, wildlife and how plants grow is an essential part of any child’s upbringing.

Peasedown St John Primary School’s outdoor and play curriculum is already teaching youngsters about how nature works, and so I was only to pleased to allocate funding from my Ward Councillor’s Empowerment Fund to enhance each child’s outdoor learning.

I’m also grateful to all the volunteers who helped put up the new polytunnel – Howard, Simon, Roger and Colin. Thanks for giving up your time to join me, in all weathers, to ensure our local primary school had its very own polytunnel!”

Polytunnels are tunnel-shaped structures with a metal frame covered in polythene film that creates a protected microclimate for growing plants. It functions like a greenhouse, trapping sunlight to keep the inside warmer and sheltering plants from wind, rain, and frost, allowing for an extended growing season and the cultivation of crops not naturally suited to the local climate. They are becoming increasingly popular because they are a cost-effective and versatile solution for gardeners and growers to produce fruits, vegetables, and flowers. 

School Headteacher, Ruth Noall, said:

“We’re incredibly grateful to Cllr Gavin Heathcote for allocating £500 from his fund for our new polytunnel. It looks fantastic!

The polytunnel is part of our new whole-school gardening project that will transform our outdoor spaces into ones that support local wildlife, enable children and staff to develop skills in gardening and managing habitats and allow our Thrive and Nurture sessions to take place outdoors in nature.

Over time our children will use some science lessons learning how to garden; giving children practical skills, a deeper understanding of wildlife and a voice in shaping our outdoor learning spaces so that they benefit our local area, wildlife and wellbeing.”

Pictured is Cllr Gavin Heathcote (second right) with Headteacher Ruth Noall (right) along with volunteers, staff and pupils next to the new school polytunnel.