Pupils dig in to create a green haven

GRAND opening . . . from left, the school's executive principal Mrs Lisa Needham, head John Taylor and MP Jim McMahon

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PUPILS have transformed a derelict area formerly littered with syringes, settees, fridges and other bulky waste into a community garden.

Staff, children, parents and members of the community at Coppice Primary Academy all played their part in the huge "love where you live" clean-up operation.

The project, which involved tidying Kennedy Street and the surrounding area, has been supported by £2,000 from Oldham Council's Green Dividend Fund.

Jim McMahon MP officially opened the new Coppice Community Green Space after he and the Mayor of Oldham Shadab Qumer mucked in with the spruce-up.

The hard work of the school and local residents mean that the community garden can now grow produce and flowers, with a bench, several tyre beds and a community noticeboard also installed.

Science leader at the school Karen Shore said: "We have changed a derelict area into a community garden. Syringes, settees and all sorts of other rubbish had been dumped there.

"Now people living in the community, parents and their children can come and use the garden and get green-fingered. New seeds will be planted and pupils will help to maintain it."

The project was launched due to the school's involvement in the Love Clean Streets pilot last July.

Coppice Primary Academy was one of 11 schools nationwide to trial the Love Clean Streets environmental app to report incidents such as grafitti, fly-tipping and pot holes to their local council.

During her role as eco lead last year Miss Shore was successful in obtaining £2,000 for a targeted project and set to work with fellow teachers Natasha Piearce and Helen Nuttall, school council leaders, Councillor Ateeque Ur-Rehman and the Council's Green Dividend Ambassador Joanna Green.

Following 12 months of design and development, Coppice Community Green Space was finally opened on Monday, May 22.

Miss Shore said: "This is a long-term developing project in which the staff, children parents and community of Coppice can get involved.

"Our long-term aim is that the community will grow their own produce that they can take home and will then return to plant more of their own produce, like a give one, get one project.

"Staff, children, parents, the Mayor, MPs and the local community have worked tirelessly to successfully clean up our area and this has been an amazing team effort of which we are all very proud of."

Help and support was also provided by the council's Green Dividend Ambassador and Community Garden Champions have already started to volunteer their time and are maintaining the garden throughout the school holidays.

Since the refurbishment there has also been a noticeable reduction in litter and fly-tipping. Councillor Barbara Brownridge Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Co-operatives, said: "Residents are proud they live here and the work carried out at Coppice Primary School is a great example of that."