A Local Housebuilder has been praised as a ‘Great Neighbour’ for supporting a special needs school in Dartington.
Bidwell Brook School, which serves children with special educational needs, is once again able to enjoy its cherished outdoor space thanks to the swift and generous support of local housebuilder Baker Estates.
Following a few days of torrential rain that left the school’s outdoor learning area flooded and unusable, Baker Estates answered the school’s call for help, and restored the space to provide a year-round safe environment for outdoor activities.
For the children of Bidwell Brook, the outdoor space is a vital setting where they engage in hands-on learning activities such as woodwork and other outdoor skills, which contribute greatly to their development and well-being. After the persistent rain rendered the area unsafe and led to its closure, Vicky Stephenson, Rural Skills Lead at Bidwell Brook School, reached out to Baker Estates, who are currently building at St Mary’s - a new housing community in Dartington.
Baker Estates swiftly organised resources alongside Champion Groundworks, its trusted groundwork partner, and transformed the flooded area into a durable, all-weather outdoor space that Bidwell Brook’s students can enjoy all year round.
Vicky Stephenson expressed her heartfelt appreciation for Baker Estates and Champion, noting the speed and efficiency of the team’s response. “We are over the moon. The transformation of our outdoor space has been remarkable, and we couldn’t have done it without the generosity and hard work of Baker Estates and Champion. They have been great neighbours and have gone above and beyond what we hoped for.
“As you would expect, the children are thrilled to be back outside learning and creating, regardless of the weather. We’re so grateful for such wonderful community support.”
“We were more than happy to help Bidwell Brook School,” said Graham Hutton, Deputy Managing Director at Baker Estates. “We’re committed to being a good neighbour and support the communities where we build. Seeing the children and staff benefit from this amazing space once again is tremendously rewarding to see.”
Champion Groundworks, who partnered with Baker Estates for the project, echoed the sentiment. Jamie Roberts, Managing Director added: “People and communities are at the heart of what we do here at Champion Groundworks, so when the Bidwell Brook Special Education School got in touch looking for some advice on how they could improve accessibility to their Rural Skills area, it was of course our natural instinct to step in and help alongside Baker Estates.”
Thanks to the dedication and community spirit shown by Baker Estates and Champion Groundworks, the students of Bidwell Brook School now have a fully restored, all-weather outdoor environment that will serve them for years to come.