Volunteering at Gibside School: Getting our hands dirty for a good cause!

In a switch from having our heads full of IT, our team have enjoyed volunteering at Gibside School in Gateshead to help create a fabulous new outside space for its pupils.  

Opened in 2021 and rated as Outstanding by Ofsted, Gibside School needed some help making a plain outside space into a forest school learning environment for its 180 primary school children, all of whom have special needs. 

Working over four days in volunteer groups made up from across the business, our tasks including building a hazel and willow weaved fence, digging out a sensory garden and path, making a woven willow tunnel entrance, planting trees around the outside of the area, and building a wildlife-friendly dead hedge.  

We also got involved with building wooden planters to form raised beds so the children can have a go at growing their own vegetables and flowers and digging out an area ready for paving.  

Working with the talented North East willow artist Ruth Thompson of Sylvan Skills, the fast-changing rain-sun-rain-sun weather pattern kept us on our toes and did not dampen the fun or our enthusiasm for the job.  

It was great to know that we were making a difference, however small, to children who face challenging lives. Having outdoor space provides them with invaluable sensory, practical and social experiences and helps with anxiety levels, boosting what they learn in a classroom environment. 

Check out some of the photos from our progress on the garden. We may have ended up tired, damp and muddy, but it was a very worthwhile experience and we hope to be invited back in the future to see the children enjoying their new outdoor space as it matures. 

Our thanks go to Headteacher Angela Whistler, Outdoor Learning Lead Claire Hillary, and the rest of the team at Gibside School for inviting us along and looking after us during the work sessions.