PROPERTY FIRM HELPS TURN PRE-SCHOOL'S ‘WILDERNESS’ INTO WONDER
Added by Love Business East Midlands | 28 November 2023
UPDATED: 29 November 2023
Children at a Leicestershire community pre-school are celebrating the opening of a new sensory garden created for them in a project supported by property firm GS Developments.
The Leicester-based company stepped in to fund the work to transform an overgrown space at Oasis PreSchool and Retreat in Asfordby Road, Melton Mowbray. Its retreat is a specialist place for children with special educational needs.
The work followed the creation of a new sensory room in an unused office at the school through funding from the Leicestershire and Rutland committee of Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of the rugby world.
The charity’s local project officer and committee member, Simon Whitaker, had noticed the neglected outdoor space on a visit to Oasis and asked Mandeep Singh - director of GS Developments and a long-time supporter - if he could help fund a renovation.
Now careful planning and collaboration with volunteers and suppliers has seen the space transformed in a two-month project. The sensory garden has bespoke, painted garden planters, a grassy area, an entrance path and a storytelling bench to relax on.
Mandeep said:
“Simon told us about the outdoor space and we met up at the school, which does incredible work for the community within quite limited resources. Our company felt it was a great project that we could happily support.
“It’s nice to know that the children and everyone at the school are happy with the new garden - it will really come into fruition over the course of next spring and summer when things get a chance to grow a bit more. It’s been very rewarding to be involved.”
GS Developments is currently working on the waterside development of 90 new affordable homes at nearby Lake Terrace in Melton Mowbray in partnership with Nottingham Community Housing Association and MyPad. Proposals have been submitted for a further 73 affordable homes in a future second phase.
Mandeep runs the 30-year-old family firm with his brother and co-director Rana.They attended the recent opening ceremony of the sensory room and garden by Rob Tarr, chairman of Leicester Tigers’ wheelchair rugby squad and a three-time Paralympian.
Also in attendance was Wooden Spoon’s Simon Whitaker, who praised volunteer workers from the Leicester Tigers Foundation’s HITZ project, which the charity sponsors, who helped to clear and level the site. Joiner Neil Parnaby of NJP Designs, Keyworth, helped with the woodwork and the project’s final touches were added by Thurcaston-based construction firm EL Midlands.
Simon said:
“The space had been a bit of a wilderness but has now been completely transformed, thanks to a collaborative effort by several people.
“We’d already given the pre-school a grant for the sensory room and then saw the potential for the outdoor space. I suggested it to Mandeep at GS Developments and I was thrilled when he agreed to fund the work.
“It can be very difficult to raise money so it was refreshing to see how he got so involved, coming to all the meetings and being so enthusiastic about the project.”
Maria Twittey, manager of Oasis PreSchool and Retreat, which is part of the Mowbray Education Trust, said:
“The sensory garden has been an amazing additional to Oasis - we are delighted with the outcome. The children have already started planting bulbs and we look forward to growing winter vegetables together.”
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