Part of the collaborative process includes pitching their ideas to Transform Trust’s central team for additional support. They ask us for help in a number of creative ways – we’ve received letters, videos, presentations and in-person appeals. Our children’s imaginations and persuasive skills are very impressive!

This year’s projects reflect the pride our children have in their school environment. Being outdoors is so important and a popular part of life within our schools. By making improvements to our external space we aim to have an impact locally – both visually and for the enjoyment of our visitors. Enhancing our grounds also has a profound effect on the ways in which children can learn, play and relax outdoors.

Trish Wilson, the main organiser of Community Action Week within Transform Trust, commented: “The Transform central team colleagues sign up to whichever school they would like to work with for the day, matching their skills with the requests for help. This is such a positive experience as we get to do good work in our schools whilst also working side by side with colleagues from other teams that we may seldom see. The chosen projects were all achievable within one day utilising skills we have within the team. It's brilliant to reflect and see the collective impact we have had and know that this will benefit the children.”

This year’s successful bids:

Abbey Hill: We put together a hard-working task force of teachers and trust staff to refurbish, stain and plant the raised bed planters in the school’s courtyard area. This helps to create and maintain a lovely space for children, staff and visitors to work in and enjoy.  

Burford: The Trust team helped Burford’s staff to clear parts of their forest school area that had become overgrown. Reclaiming additional outdoor space means that more children can enjoy time learning and relaxing outside.

Holgate: Together, we worked hard to plant 300 saplings and painted the school play-house. The saplings will have a positive, long-term effect on the school’s outdoor space and surroundings, whilst the playhouse is now protected against the British weather and looks great!

King Edward: This was a fun project. The children asked for a digging space for lunchtime activities. The hard-working team removed an area of turf and edged it, resulting in a safe enclosure that will be used for imaginative, physical, messy play.

Community Action Week has been established for several years. It was created to enable schools to support and build relationships within their local communities. It gives children the opportunity to give through time and effort with no expectation of receiving in return. Every year the Transform Trust family gets behind the initiative to identify, improve and enjoy areas that will make a difference to the lives of many local people.