PUPILS from Stoke Prior Primary School have been trying their hand at everything from den building to wood whittling with their new bushcraft equipment, purchased thanks to funding from the Kingspan Insulation Community Trust.

Back in 2011, the school was able to secure the use of an area of local woodland as an outdoor learning environment. Headteacher Matt Lewis and deputy head Jo Angell both undertook Forest Schools Level 3 training and have since been leading the pupils in a number of fun and challenging outdoor activities.

The £454 grant from the Community Trust has been used to purchase a range of new equipment including Kelly kettles, fire lighting bowls, compasses and camouflage netting.

Matt Lewis commented "the Forest School is in a fantastic spot and due to its close locality; we are easily able to walk to it with the pupils. The children have been having a great time learning survival skills with the new fire lighting flints and fire bowls whilst drinking hot chocolate from the water boiled in our Kelly kettles. They've also really enjoyed the wood working sessions with the older children making mallets out of the logs whilst the younger pupils whittle wood with potato peelers."

Kingspan Insulation Community Trust chairman John Garbutt said "We were delighted to be able to help Stoke Prior Primary School build on the success of its Forrest School. The scheme is a great reminder that team sports aren't the only way to promote a healthy lifestyle and the skills the pupils learn will hopefully last them a lifetime."

The Kingspan Insulation Community Trust provides funding to projects within the catchment areas of Wigmore High School, Lady Hawkins' School, Earl Mortimer College and Tenbury High School in Herefordshire and Worcestershire and the parish of Sherburn-in-Elmet in North Yorkshire. There is no limit to the number of applications that can be submitted. All that is asked is that they meet at least one of the Trust's four objectives which cover: ecology, biodiversity, healthy recreation for young people and road safety.

Application forms and details of other local projects that have already been helped by the Trust since it was set up can be viewed on the website: www.KingspanInsulationCommunityTrust.org