Budding gardeners at Belmont Primary School in East Belfast will benefit from improved outdoor play after receiving a donation from leading electricity provider, Power NI.
A total of £300 has been awarded through the company’s ‘Helping Hands’ employee initiative, with the money being used to purchase equipment including gardening gloves, brushes, and watering cans to support outdoor learning and increase kids’ understanding of the natural world.
Located on the Belmont Road, Belmont Primary School first opened its doors in 1890. Since then, outdoor learning has become a key feature of daily life. By incorporating this into the curriculum, teachers create a nurturing space that inspires pupils and helps to deliver academic excellence.
Power NI employee Gwyneth Compston nominated the school through the Helping Hands scheme and believes it will make an immediate positive impact. “My daughter Emily loves going to school at Belmont and really enjoys having the chance to play outside,” explained Gwyneth. “It feels great to be able to practically support the classes – including Primary Two – with their outdoor learning.
“At Power NI, we really do care about our local communities and Helping Hands is a great initiative which allows staff to financially support groups which are important to them,” added Gwyneth.
Thanking Power NI for the £300 funding boost, and Gwyneth Compston for nominating the school, Principal Olwen McIlroy said: “The money has been used for various outdoor items including an easel and brushes and gardening gloves to enhance our pupils’ outdoor learning experiences. I have no doubt there will be many years of fun and outdoor learning thanks to this donation.”
Power NI launched Helping Hands to support the causes that matter the most to its employees in Northern Ireland, by allowing them to nominate an individual, group or organisation to receive sponsorship to facilitate their kind and transformative work. Last year alone, thousands of pounds were handed out to local communities in Northern Ireland through the Helping Hands initiative.
Find out more on how Power NI is energising local communities.
