Sometimes, the things we no longer need can become something completely different in someone else’s hands.
This week, we were pleased to welcome Mr Foster (Forest School leader) and Mrs Hargreaves from St Anne’s C of E Primary School to the B&E Boys head office, where they collected a selection of loose materials from our yard area to use as part of their outdoor play and Forest School activities.
The materials may have been sitting unused in our yard, but they’re now going to have a new lease of life helping children to play, explore and get creative.
Supporting outdoor play and creativity
St Anne’s is using the materials as part of its OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) provision, which encourages children to make the most of their outdoor playtime through imaginative, child-led activities.
Rather than everything having one specific purpose, loose parts and everyday materials can give children the freedom to decide what they want to create and how they want to use them., and judging by the school’s response, the children are already excited!
Following the collection, St Anne’s shared their thanks: “Thank you to B & E Boys for donating lots of loose parts for OPAL. Our children love large play equipment like this! Thank you!”
The school has also said that there will be more photographs to follow showing what the children created with the materials, and we’re looking forward to seeing what they come up with.
From our yard to their playground
For us, it’s a simple example of how local businesses can support schools and community organisations by thinking about what they already have available.
Materials that might no longer have a use for us can sometimes be incredibly useful elsewhere, particularly when they can be used for creative play, learning or community projects.
We were more than happy to pass these materials on rather than see them go to waste, and it’s great to know they’re now going to be enjoyed by the children at St Anne’s.
There’s something particularly nice about seeing practical materials given a completely new purpose. What might look like an ordinary collection of loose parts to us can become a den, an obstacle course, a construction project, a game or something the children have invented themselves. And that’s the beauty of imaginative outdoor play – there’s no single right way to use them.
Keeping community connections local
At B&E Boys, we’re proud to be part of the Rossendale community and we’re always pleased when we can support local schools, organisations and projects in a practical way. We know there are lots of fantastic things happening across our local communities, and sometimes a little support, a donation of useful materials or simply a willingness to help can make a real difference.
We’d like to thank the team at St Anne’s C of E Primary School for coming to collect the materials and for sharing their lovely message with us. Now we’re just looking forward to seeing what the children create!