The opening of a new all-weather outdoor activity facility – The Toe-Path – will take place at St George’s School, Semington, on Friday 2nd October at 9.10am. Members of the local community are warmly invited to attend.
The school states, “The path will be opened by the oldest ex-pupil currently living in Semington, and the youngest current pupil at the school.
“Later that same morning the school will be having an open morning, for prospective parents for next year’s reception class, as well as any other members of our community who would like to look around the school and find out more about what makes St George’s special.”
The Toe-Path is a project initiated by Gordon Campbell, who has been headteacher at St George’s for just over a year.
He says, “I noticed soon after arriving that during the wetter months of the year, the children were restricted to the small hard standing playground, and that grass field area was inaccessible due to muddy conditions.
“The Toe-Path, designed by Different by Design, is a path around the periphery of the field, incorporating new and existing play equipment. Children are already benefitting from the space this opens up, and using the new cabins, the trim trail, and are able to access the picnic tables and quiet area all year round. A less crowded, more open playtime also means children return to the classroom better refreshed and ready for their lessons.”
Andrea Webb, chair of the Friends of St George’s says, “The Toe-Path has been the main focus of fundraising for the last year by the Friends of St George’s, and we are grateful to all of the members of the community who ran the 10k, attended the jumble sale and village fete, and helped out at other events. We were also pleased to attract generous donations and grants from local businesses including Nutricia, Great Bear, Cooper Tyres, as well as the Melksham Area Board.”
Chair of governors, Lynn Cook praised the Friends, saying, “We have a wonderful team of proactive parents who took Mr Campbell’s vision and really ran with it. Raising £11,600 in a single year is truly amazing for a small school.”
It is hoped that the range of play equipment can be expanded in the near future to give the children further opportunities for outdoor play and learning.
