STUDENTS from two Whitley primary schools joined forces on Wednesday, March 22, for a rewilding project the community can now enjoy.
Councillors Alice Mpofu-Coles, Micky Leng and Karen Rowland were joined by budding nature enthusiasts from Whitley Park School and Geoffrey Field Infant School to plant trees and flowers in the green space owned by Holiday Inn Reading-South M4.
Residents of the Gateway properties across the Whitley Roundabout had been looking to turn the site into an area they could use and take care of, and Reading Borough Council were happy to oblige.
Many of the children who took part had already been introduced to gardening through their own school projects.
Cllr Mpofu-Coles said: “It was a great opportunity for the children to plant some bulbs and to let them get involved in something which will help the environment, and be happy about doing so.
“All of them were so excited, and especially happy to see the worms. They planted five trees just for starters – the children decided there would be two for Whitley Park, two for Geoffrey Fields and one for all of them.”
The youngsters planted spring and winter bulbs before being invited into the hotel by its staff for some light refreshments and pastries. A bench has also been installed to allow passersby to catch their breath while taking in the site.
Getting to this point has been a drawn-out process with Gateway resident Jason Sinclair and Cllr Micky Leng raising the concept pre-Covid.
“When I became a councillor, I negotiated with Holiday Inn,” Cllr Mpofu-Coles added.
“It was very hard to get in touch with them as I had to phone their American office. We persisted for a year or so and finally managed to get it done.”
John Fox, Geoffrey Field’s garden club leader, said the students were “thrilled” to be part of a project which will have both aesthetic and environmental benefits for Whitley.
He said: “At the school, we encourage children to look for opportunities to help the local community and shape it positively.
“Cllr Alice [Mpofu-Coles], who recently opened our new library, is a fantastic role model for doing just this. The garden team can’t wait for their next assignment.”
Whitley Park pupils also “can’t wait to do it again” and are also looking forward to tending to the trees they have planted.
A spokesperson for the school said: “The students really enjoyed planting the bulbs and finding lots of minibeasts, especially some worms.
“They are looking forward to continuing to care for the trees in the future alongside Geoffrey Fields. One student mentioned that it was really good to get out of the classroom and actively do good for the environment and can’t wait to continue to do this again.”
The hotel’s general manager, Paul Dunn, said: “At Holiday Inn Reading South, we truly value our role within this community and hope it will continue to flourish. It was great to build on the foundations of this mission, established last year.
“The rewilding project will visibly, and naturally, contribute to the area for years to come and for the children that participated on the day, with any luck they can show it to future generations.”
