Local housebuilder, Barratt Homes Yorkshire West, has donated £1,500 to Wakefield-based school, East Ardsley Primary Academy, as part of its Community Fund initiative.

Barratt Homes Yorkshire West's donation to the school, located near its Ambler's Meadow development, will contribute to the installation of a pond in its Forest School area. This addition will be a wildlife pond and safety fencing for the children to go pond dipping and embrace outdoor education.

The aim of the Forest School and the installation of the pond is to enhance the children's education and experiences. The pond is expected to attract wildlife which will give the children the opportunity to learn how to identify common pond organisms, their anatomy, and life cycles. The installation will also give the children the chance to develop skills in a variety of different areas such as recording their pond sightings, close observation skills, increasing scientific vocabulary, and developing a greater appreciation for biodiversity.

As the UK's largest housebuilder, Barratt Homes is committed to having a positive impact on the communities in which it builds. To further their work and to maximise the impact the developer has, a donation of up to £1,500 is made to a local charity every month as part of the Community Fund initiative.

On the donation, Sarah Talbot, Principal at East Ardsley Primary Academy, said: “We are very grateful for Barratt Homes Yorkshire West's generous Community Fund donation.

“The installation of the pond in our Forest School will deliver another level of education to the children at East Ardsley Primary Academy. It will provide vital new skills including more knowledge about biodiversity and caring for the natural environment. Here at the school, we're committed to enhancing the children's experiences and education, and the wildlife pond will help achieve this, thanks to Barratt's donation.”

Gavin Birch, Managing Director at Barratt Homes Yorkshire West, added: “East Ardsley Primary Academy is doing some wonderful things for its pupils, and the installation of this wildlife pond is no exception in improving the education for its children.

“We are dedicated to building communities where people and nature can thrive by enhancing habitats and biodiversity. This is reflected in our long-standing partnership with the RPSB, who we have worked with to design show home gardens and green spaces that maximise the benefits for wildlife. 

“We're very pleased to see that East Ardsley Primary Academy is dedicated to educating its young people about the importance of supporting nature. We're hopeful that our Community Fund donation will help by contributing funds to install a wildlife pond, which will have a positive impact on the environment and help to improve children's scientific skills.”

For more information about the academy, visit the website at East Ardsley Primary Academy.

For more information about the development, visit the website at Amber's Meadow.

For more information about Barratt Homes' developments in the county, visit Barratt Homes in West Yorkshire.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. For further information about Barratt Homes please contact Dan Cole on 0116 247 1777 or daniel@unsworthsugden.co.uk    

1. Barratt Homes is part of Barratt Developments PLC, a FTSE100 company

1. Barratt was awarded a maximum five star rating for the 15th consecutive year in the 2024 Home Builders Federation Customer Satisfaction Survey

1. Site managers working for Barratt Group won 96 awards for quality workmanship in the 2023 NHBC Pride in the Job Awards. Barratt has won more Pride in the Job awards than any other housebuilder for the last 19 years