Pupils at Seaham Trinity Primary School are now enjoying a newly revitalised forest school area, thanks to a major makeover carried out by volunteers from Karbon Homes and Esh Construction.
The transformation was made possible through Karbon’s Unlocking Social Value programme, which connects the social value pledges of contractors and suppliers to community-based projects. Volunteers from Karbon, Esh, and open space specialists Trustgreen came together to create an inspiring outdoor space where children can play, learn, and build essential skills.
The school approached the housing association knowing that some of its pupils may one day be living in the 750 new affordable homes Karbon is developing at Seaham Garden Village, just up the road from the school, and were keen to establish a local link.
Esh Construction is the lead contractor for the affordable homes being developed by Karbon, and Trustgreen has been appointed to manage the garden village’s green spaces. Each organisation donated time, resources and materials required for the school’s landscape maintenance project.
Jess Alexander, Social Value Lead at Karbon Homes, said:
“At Karbon we’re passionate about utilising the social value commitments of our contracts and suppliers to support projects which help boost local communities and leave a lasting impact. When the school reached out, it was the perfect match for Esh’s social value volunteering hours.
“It’s great to contribute to supporting not only the children’s development through bringing the outdoor play and learn space back into use, but improving their mental wellbeing being out in nature too.”
Emma Aitkin, Outdoor Play Lead at Seaham Trinity Primary School, said:
“We were looking at what we needed to do for broader child development, exploring options on how to fund and resource outdoor play. Jess came to see what our play time was all about, saw a real community opportunity and extended Karbon’s support offer beyond what we initially asked for.
“It’s given us the capacity we couldn’t have achieved ourselves with limited school finances, so for us as a school it’s just huge. We can now cater for a range of play types so when the children come back in after lunch, they’re ready to learn.”
Trustgreen provided technical support during the volunteer day and advised on protecting the area’s biodiversity.
Kate Marshall, Social Value Manager at Esh, said:
“Our relationship with Karbon Homes is built on a shared commitment to delivering meaningful social value, and Seaham Garden Village is a prime example of that in action.
“With the Seaham Garden Village project now well underway, it’s important to us that we give back to local residents – not just through the homes we build, but through initiatives like the forest school revamp at Seaham Trinity Primary. As a contractor with a community-first approach, Esh always seeks to leave a lasting legacy and ensure our work supports the wider neighbourhood.”
