Digging In for Orchard Junior School

Students at Orchard Junior School, in Dibden Purlieu, have a new pond thanks to a donation from the Parents Teachers Friends Association (PTFA) and some hard work by employees of recycling and waste management company Veolia Environmental Services.

The PTFA bought the pond liner for the school, but the head teacher of Orchard Junior School needed some volunteers to prepare the ground and re-line the pond.  Steve Pidgley from Veolia’s haulage team in Marchwood heard about this and recruited five other volunteers. Steve then worked to prepare the ground in advance of the team re-lining the pond.

Head teacher at Orchard Junior School, Bob Carson, said: “They all worked like Trojans, especially Steve who worked hard preparing the pond in advance in continuous rain.  We were amazed at the efforts of the whole team, so it’s a really big thank you to Veolia on behalf of the children and the Parents Teachers Friends Association.”

Transport Manager for Veolia Environmental Services, Michael Scriven, added: “We take great pride in our efforts with local communities and push ourselves to find activities like this where we can volunteer and make a difference.”

Orchard Junior School has established a conservation project, which includes a specially designed outside classroom, with a decked platform overlooking the pond.