Knaresborough Forest School receives £2000 donation to create ‘a living classroom’

The money was provided by the Miller Homes Community Fund which, twice a year, invites applications for funding from charities and community groups in the Yorkshire region.

The Forest School received £2,000 to help create a living classroom, which will see outdoor learning delivered no matter what the season, or the weather.

Debbie Whittingham, Regional Sales Director, Miller Homes Yorkshire, said: “This is a wonderful school that offers education to children with special educational needs ranging from age 3 to 16, and we are delighted to support this innovative approach to learning.

“We had a wide range of applications this time and it made choosing our worthy winners very difficult.

“However, we felt this project would deliver significant benefits for the students at the school and their families.”

The funding will help bring the project to life which is reliant fully on third party contributions.

Jill Bryant, spokesperson from The Forest School, said: “We have witnessed first-hand the positive impact outdoor learning has on our pupils, and we wanted to be able to deliver this throughout the year, not just in the warmer months.

“Our thanks go to Miller Homes for choosing us and we look forward to sharing our progress with them as the project comes to fruition.”

The Forest School was established in the 1960s, and is proud to deliver a comprehensive curriculum including access to recreational and education opportunities about the natural world through its Woodland Adventure programme, and school allotment activities.

The programme aims to teach the mental and physical benefits of bringing the nature into the traditional classroom with facilities that provide access regardless of the weather.

To continue supporting communities throughout the region, a further £3,000 has also been donated by Miller Homes to other charities across West and North Yorkshire.

Applications are twice yearly and the next applications for the Miller Homes Community Fund will open in the spring of 2024.