Children at a County Durham school will soon benefit from a transformed playground thanks to a donation from a national property developer.
Hartside Primary Academy’s playground is set for a major upgrade after receiving £3,000 from national housebuilder Persimmon Homes.
Adam McVickers, Persimmon Durham’s Land and Planning Manager, visited the Crook school – which is part of the Advance Learning Partnership – to present the funding, alongside local councillors.
He was joined by school staff and Crook local councillors, Robbie Rodiss, Paul Bean, and Adrian Schulman.
Mr McVickers said:
“It was a pleasure to visit Hartside Primary Academy and meet the staff and pupils.
“At Persimmon, we’re committed to supporting the communities we build in, and we hope this donation goes far in being able to help the school improve their outdoor learning area for years to come.”
After noticing erosion in parts of the playground, he also offered to repurpose topsoil from nearby Persimmon sites to help resurface the space – much to teachers’ delight.
Ava Acaster, Early Years lead, thanked the housing developer for the contribution, and emphasised the impact strong outdoor play has on children’s development and ability to learn.
She said:
“This donation will be life-changing for the children in our community who play in this garden.
“Outdoor education is absolutely vital, and we’re very passionate about it. Getting children active and learning through movement helps with their self-regulation, their feelings of belonging, and how they take in new ideas .
“I don’t think there’s any lesson you can teach inside that you can’t teach better outside.”
