AN outdoor classroom and countryside area for children at an East Yorkshire primary school has been officially opened and blessed.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, met pupils and staff at Beverley’s of St Mary’s CE School which was awarded £10,000 through Tesco’s Bags of Help initiative to fund its creation.

York Press:

The outdoor learning area has an outdoor classroom, wildlife pond and woodland area and will be used regularly by all pupils as part of the curriculum. It provides an outstanding place to learn about environmental and wildlife issues.

Members of the Eco-Beavers Club at St Mary’s wrote to the Archbishop last year asking if he would come and bless the area they have set aside in the school grounds to celebrate. As part of the dedication service, the children wrote prayers on ribbons which were tied to the trees and lit candles as symbols of peace which were floated on the pond.

The Archbishop of York, said: “It is a delight to be able to go into schools and see the pleasure and excitement the outdoors can bring to children’s lives. Being able to learn in the great outdoors brings a different dimension to the school day. We all would benefit from connecting more with the world around us and seeing the beauty that God has created, taking time to find quiet spaces which help us to connect with God so that our lives can be enriched.”

The official opening was attended by local Tesco Beverley community champion, David Ryley as well as local parents and children of the school.

The Bags of Help initiative was rolled out in Tesco stores across the country last year, with the supermarkets customers able to vote in store to decide which community group or project should receive a share of a funding pot.

Elizabeth Hart, outdoor learning co-ordinator at St Mary’s said: “The whole school has been looking forward to the Archbishop’s visit and we’re honoured to have this amazing resource which everyone can benefit from, thanks to the Bags of Help Grant from Tesco. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed.”

Mr Ryley, said: “I’m really honoured to be able to help launch the outdoor classroom alongside parents, staff and children from the school and the Archbishop of York. This is a great example of the local community working together. St Mary’s already has a great relationship with our store, so it’s great to see this project now opened and being used and enjoyed by the school, showing first-hand how a Bags of Help grant can help transform the communities which we serve. I’d really encourage people to pop into store to find out more about Bags of Help so that more local projects can benefit.”