Mesne Lea Primary School in Walkden gets ‘lifechanging’ new playground after renovation

A school in Walkden has had its playground renovated after an £8,000 refurbishment.

Mesne Lea Primary School’s playground has been transformed into a ‘safe and modern outdoor space’ with a large obstacle course and artificial grass.

The school received a grant from housing group Sigma Capital and sits within proximity of Sigma’s Simple Life’s Holyoake Road site, which comprises 123 new homes and apartments.

Victoria Hurcomb, Head of Marketing for Sigma Capital said: “As much of our schemes are focused on family housing, many of our residents naturally have children who attend local schools.

“Our background is also in regeneration, and unlike open market sale developers, we will continue to have a presence in the local community for the long term.

“Therefore, we feel we have a vested interest in the wider local area in which we develop.”

Vicky added: “We, as a landlord, feel that our offering goes much further than just bricks and mortar – feeling at home is also about having a sense of belonging whether that’s on your doorstep or being part of the wider community.”

Another school has completed their project using Sigma's Simple Life donation. @Mesne_lea primary in Walkden has utilised the funds to create a new trim trail and playground renovations!https://t.co/oxhAXsi4iY#CSR #ESG #Socialresponsibility #schools #education #community pic.twitter.com/XPj8QNFn50

— Sigma Capital Group (@SigmaCapitalPLC) December 1, 2020

“We also feel we have a duty of care to do our bit to support the wider local community, and due to our family customer base, supporting schools and children’s education is an obvious way in which we can help the local area to flourish,” she added.

Sigma Housing invites schools local to their developments to pitch projects that can be completed with financial assistance.

Mesne Lea primary school is the second school in the Salford area to benefit from Sigma’s Simple Life donations after similar funding was given to River View Primary School for the past two years.

According to the school’s headteacher, Andrea Nelson, the donation has been life-changing to both the 120 pupils and the school in terms of promoting quality and healthier outdoor plays, learning, and development of creative skills, building up social skills, while also encouraging them to explore.