Kenton pupils use £56,000 NCIL money to transform disrepaired section of Woodcock Park
St Gregory's pupils on site in Woodcock Park at the beginnig of renovation work. Picture: St Gregory's Catholic College - Credit: Archant
Green-fingered pupils from a Kenton secondary school put £56,000 funding to good use by transforming an area of Woodcock Park, which had fallen into disrepair.
St Gregory's pupils with other community members on a tree planting day in Woodcock Park. Picture: St Gregory's Catholic College - Credit: Archant
Students at St Gregory's Catholic Science College, in Donnington Road, invited pupils from nearby Uxendon Manor Primary School and representatives from The Friends of Woodcock Park to help them plant trees in a newly refurbished space in the park on Wednesday (February 5).
Staff from Veolia, which manages Woodcock Park, were on site to support pupils plant the trees, which the young environmentalists hope will help to improve biodiversity as well as add much needed shade to the area.
The project is the result of a huge appeal by pupils last year who gained almost 250 signatures from members of the local community for a petition they created to support their funding bid to the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy.
Staff and pupils worked with Brent Council to bring their ideas to fruition and won the money in September which led to a large area of "treacherous tarmac" being resurfaced.
This will soon be marked out with football, netball and rounders' courts and an all-weather permeable surface has also been laid for picnic benches.
St Gregory's Eco Warrior, Augustine Charles, 14, said: "I feel really proud, because without us I don't think this project would ever have happened. The improvements help people be more active as there is a nicer and safer environment to play in.
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"There are not that many benches in the park so adding benches here gives the community more of an opportunity to come together and adding new trees helps the environment even more."
Kamil Ziolkowski, also 14, added: "I feel proud because we've had a big impact on our local environment."
The school has held an Eco Schools Green Flag for six years and in 2018 pupils won the Royal Horticultural Society's School Gardening Team of the Year.
St Gregory's head, Andrew Prindiville said: "This is a fantastic example of how our young people have made a positive impact on their local community.
"I am extremely proud of the passion and determination shown by these pupils to make a difference to the world around them."
