Kettering school's £1,000 prize to boost wildlife with pond project

Wildlife-loving members of a Kettering school community have celebrated the official opening of their new school pond with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Southfield School welcomed the mayor of Kettering Cllr Emily Fedorowycz as she visited the Eco Club pupils who had won £1,000 to create the new habitat.

The pond and butterfly bank will double-up as a learning resource for pupils and has also helped the school retain its Eco School Green Flag Award.

Funding for the project was won by the students in Kettering Town Council’s Love Wildlife competition which ran earlier in the year.

Cllr Fedorowycz said: “The school has worked so hard on this pond and it really pays off with a wonderful new wildlife area and an invaluable way for children to learn about the environment.”

Eco Club members celebrated the completion of the project with a prize-giving ceremony to thank site staff who had helped to dig out the pond. Insects including pond skaters have already been seen on the water. It is hoped more animals will be attracted to the site – a fox cub has been seen near the pond as well as deer.

Year 7 student Gabriella, who worked on the site, said: “I did it to help the wildlife – for the frogs and newts. It’s been nice to work with friends on the project.”

Cllr Mark Rowley, KTC’s finance and governance committee chairman, said: “We are really committed to encouraging biodiversity in town and this project is a great example of how a site can be transformed to encourage wildlife.”

Dr Andy Fordham at Southfield School for Girls, who submitted the grant bid, said: “Thanks to the hard work of our estates staff, our new pond is a lovely safe environment. We are so pleased to have a great new habitat for the school site and a great learning resource too.”

The Love Wildlife competition also awarded £1,000 to Kettering Women’s Centre to support vulnerable women with horticultural therapy and a range of smaller awards were made to a range of different projects in the town.