An overgrown and unsightly large area of land plagued by fly-tippers is being transformed into a pristine playing field for High Clarence Primary School thanks to the efforts of Teesside businesses Wilton Engineering and Scott Bros.
The newly cleared space will enable the school at Port Clarence, Middlesbrough, to repurpose its current, smaller playing field as the site for a PlayZone – an all-weather community accessible outdoor sports and activity area.
Having exhausted efforts to trace the owner of the unregistered plot, Head Teacher Nicola Caraher is utlilising the land on behalf of the school. With the area fenced off, staff, parents, family members, and community supporters had tried to clear it but were overwhelmed by the scale of the task.
Following a conversation with Mrs Caraher, Bill Scott, Chief Executive of Wilton Engineering, which is based further along Port Clarence Road, offered its services and brought in machinery and a landscaping team to clear the site of rubbish, and a jungle of brambles and weeds.
Once cleared, Scott Bros, based at Haverton Hill, donated and delivered 60 tonnes of its recycled high-quality topsoil so the landscaping team could level and create a new smooth and safe surface ready for reseeding.
Bill Scott, who is also Deputy Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, now hopes to attract donations from local businesses to fund additional play equipment for the ‘new’ play field.
Meanwhile, Mrs Caraher is applying to the Football Foundation for 75% of the funding to establish a PlayZone on its smaller original playing field, which would include an artificial 5G pitch to encourage football and other sports.
The PlayZone will provide first-class facilities locally, eliminating the need for residents to travel. It will also serve as a home base for local sports teams, generating valuable income for the school, while its pupils will benefit from discounted participation, creating new opportunities for active involvement.
Nicola Caraher said: “Without the incredible support of both Wilton Engineering and Scott Bros., we could never have transformed our new larger playing field. This has been achieved at no cost to the school and has improved an area that was previously a dumping ground for fly-tippers. Now, we can focus on developing our smaller playing field into a PlayZone, which will be a tremendous asset for the entire community.”
Bill Scott OBE DL, chief executive of Wilton Engineering, said: “High Clarence School is at the very heart of this community, and it’s essential for us to unite in investing in the future of our young people. By doing so, we’re creating valuable opportunities that will benefit not only the pupils but the wider community. Supporting initiatives like this guarantees that future generations have access to the resources they need to thrive and enjoy the outdoors, building the foundation for a brighter, more connected future.”
Peter Scott, a Director at Scott Bros., added: “We are proud to have played a role in transforming this land into a safe and welcoming space for the pupils. At Scott Bros., we believe in supporting and giving back to our local area, and it’s been wonderful to see this project come to life. The new field will provide children with a safe place to play, learn, and grow.”