New garden for school centenary

A NEW Centenary Garden has been created at Denes High School to mark its 100th year.

An unused area in the grounds of the school in Yarmouth Road has been transformed into a haven for staff and pupils - thanks to the Groundforce-style efforts of the Suffolk Reparation Service (Catch 22).

Denes' operations manager Justin Smith said the school was determined to plan and develop the Centenary Garden as part of a lasting legacy marking its 100th anniversary.

And the milestone was celebrated in style, thanks to the efforts to the youngsters from Catch 22.

'An unused area within the school grounds was chosen as the setting for a permanent garden to celebrate the centenary and encourage staff and students to relax and de-stress during break or lunchtimes - and the area may even be used for study periods too,' Mr Smith said.

'The chosen site, some 380sqm in size, needed clearing and the debris removed.'

What followed was a true tale of tireless efforts from a group of young volunteers, who have all committed crimes, as the tough transformation was completed in time.

'Liz Woodrow from Catch 22 volunteered a group of young people who were working with Suffolk Reparation Service to get the job done.

'Over three weekends the group worked tirelessly to remove vast swathes of brambles, bushes and other debris from the site,' Mr Smith said.

Suffolk Reparation Service provides young people who have committed crimes with opportunities to undertake unpaid work for the benefit of their community.

This encourages young people to reintegrate and take pride in their work whilst paying back for their crime and learning new skills.

And paying tribute to the work carried out by this group, Mr Smith added: 'Our school is very grateful for Liz and the time her team have put into this project.

'There's no doubt that the hard work of this group of young people has contributed enormously to the centenary project and saved the school a great deal of money.'