East Suffolk Council
Community Partnership funds ‘living wall’ for primary school
A ‘living wall’ measuring the length of a football pitch has been unveiled in the grounds of a Felixstowe school.
The 100-metre-long green screen was planted at Langer Primary Academy over the February half term break – thanks to funding from East Suffolk Council’s Felixstowe Peninsula Community Partnership.
The project was devised to help provide an extra layer of screening from a busy adjacent road, while adding more nature to the school environment.
A team of volunteers from Felixstowe and Ipswich based Muscles for Charity donated their time and skills to help create the wall from 360 tree seedlings provided by Kiln Farm Nursery, in Kesgrave.
It is hoped that the wall, when grown, will act as a natural filter to help reduce the impact of nitrogen dioxide and dust particles in the air.
There are eight Community Partnerships across East Suffolk, with an overall budget of £1.73m earmarked to tackle priority issues identified by local people. Each partnership comprises East Suffolk councillors working in collaboration with town and parish councils, Suffolk County Council, businesses, police, health and voluntary organisations, community groups and youth representatives.
Cllr Rosie Smithson, Chair of Felixstowe Peninsula Community Partnership, which granted £963.20 to fund the project, said:
“We are delighted to have provided funding for this living wall at Langer Primary Academy. Huge thanks are due to the volunteers from Muscles for Charity for giving their time and expertise to help make this happen.
“The living wall will not only promote biodiversity and provide additional screening, but also has the potential to reduce air pollutants through natural filtration – and it may even inspire the next generation of environmentally conscious climate innovators.
“We’re providing educational packs for the children to enhance their connection with nature and encourage their involvement in the maintenance of the wall.”
Langer Primary Academy Headteacher, Jo Morgan-Soane said:
“We’re very grateful for the donation from the Community Partnership and for the hard work of volunteers from Muscles for Charity.
“This project is a wonderful opportunity to benefit the school in many ways. We’re improving sustainability with something that looks attractive, as well as putting back natural habitat for wildlife, and giving the children that extra security and privacy from the road.”