St Simon and St Jude CE Primary School were delighted to welcome members of the Barwell and Earl Shilton Lions this week, who generously donated a £100 cheque and 10 bags of compost to support the school’s student gardening club. This kind contribution will complement an £800 grant the school recently received from the Tesco Stronger Starts scheme, further enabling the school to cultivate exciting outdoor learning opportunities for pupils.

 

The donation from the Lions will go directly towards enhancing the school’s garden and outside area, encouraging more students to join the thriving gardening club and helping current members to expand their skills and ambitions. The school plans to launch new projects in the coming months that will inspire children to connect with nature, grow their own plants, and learn about sustainability.

 

Executive Headteacher Becky Dolby-Molson expressed her heartfelt appreciation, saying:
"We are incredibly grateful to the Barwell and Earl Shilton Lions for their generous support of our gardening club. Their donation, alongside the funding from Tesco’s Stronger Starts scheme, will make a real difference—helping us to expand our outdoor learning provision and spark even more interest in gardening among our pupils. We’re proud to be building a relationship with such a fantastic community-based charity and look forward to welcoming the Lions back to see how our garden blossoms with their support."

 

The partnership marks the beginning of what the school hopes will be a long-standing connection with the Barwell and Earl Shilton Lions, with future collaborations already being discussed. The students and staff are excited to showcase their progress and share their love of gardening as the seasons go on.