Chapelcross team lend a hand at school

SEVEN members of staff from NRS at Chapelcross swapped their safety gloves for gardening gloves recently to work at a school in Annan.

They volunteered their time to help improve the outdoor spaces at St Columba’s Primary.

The team spent the morning working across the school grounds and horticulture area, to create a more welcoming and usable outdoor environment for pupils.

Tasks included removing weeds from verges around the entrance and car park, as well as tackling an overgrown garden area used by pupils for growing fruit, vegetables and plants.

The school’s garden, which also features pollinator areas and bug hotels, had become difficult to manage. The volunteers cleared the weeds, restored the raised beds and brought the space back to a condition where pupils can once again enjoy planting and learning outdoors.

As part of the makeover, the team also helped restore worn pathways, redistributing and topping up stones to improve access and appearance.

This marks the first organised volunteering activity for Chapelcross staff, highlighting the site’s commitment to supporting the local community and making a positive difference beyond the workplace. It is hoped that more sessions assisting projects in the local area will be arranged soon.

Thanking them, principal teacher Mrs Gilfillan said: “We’d like to thank the Chapelcross team who came along. These are tasks we simply don’t get time to do day-to-day, so we really appreciate their support – especially as it was such a soggy morning!

“The difference they’ve made to our outdoor space is fantastic, and it means our pupils can enjoy using the garden again.”