NEW GRANT FUNDING FOR HEATHFIELD RE-WILDING PROJECT

Sussex Lund 2022 Grant funding for College Eco Re-Wilding Project

Heathfield Community College is delighted to share that they have been granted funding up to £10,000 for an exciting re-wilding project that will be student led and develop an AONB-species-rich educational showcase.

The College is set amongst some of the most beautiful countryside in the country in the High Weald AONB, they have a thriving team of Eco-Reps and a College commitment to environmental sustainability. This project will allow them to make the vision of re-wilding and sustainability a reality as well as linking with a wide range of syllabus areas at all Key Stages to further enhance the College support for young people’s education.

The project will include preparing and seeding the chosen area of their site (at the bottom of the field by the MUGA and rugby pitch), with Weald native wildflowers, creating a wildlife pond and dipping area, hedge planting, bird boxes, benching and deck area for observation and instruction among other sustaining factors.

This is a very exciting development and the product of hard work by key staff to present and coordinate the bid. The project will develop educational resources aimed at growing the connection between young people and the natural world and local environment, specifically that of the High Weald.

Headteacher Caroline Barlow stated “This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to understand project development as well as reap the huge benefits afforded by closer links to our natural world and local environment. We are very grateful to the team who developed the project and to the Sussex Lund for this very generous grant which enables us to do things we simply would not be able to even dream of in current circumstances”

An action plan is currently being drawn up by staff and students and they look forward to sharing the development with our community and partner schools as it progresses.