Living Willows for Shade reaches fifty

30 June 2006

Teachers and pupils of Portrush Primary School have celebrated the successful completion of the Living Willows for Shade project along with members of a Steering Group represented by the Green Park Healthcare Trust, Homefirst Health Trust, the Ulster Cancer Foundation and Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland.

Principal of Portrush Primary School, Mr Riley Piddington, said “The project was very important to the school as an educational programme where involvement in the construction of willow domes raised awareness of sun protection issues, whilst providing areas of shade for play or outside class work.  The children have had hours of fun playing in the willow dome.”

Conservation Volunteers worked with schools and community groups to construct over fifty living willow structures in school grounds throughout the Eastern and Northern Health Board areas over the past three years. Conservation Volunteers also provided training in construction and maintenance techniques for parents, teachers and grounds maintenance staff, helping ensure the structures are looked after in the future.

Sandra Gordon, Project Manager, Ulster Cancer Foundation, said “I greatly enjoyed the privilege of managing this project which has achieved so much in adding to and supporting the sun protection / skin cancer prevention programme. Our living willow structures provide protection from the sun now and our teaching materials have supported learning to provide children with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves in the future.”

This project was funded by the Big Lottery under the New Opportunities Fund programme designed to support partnerships working to highlight the issue of “Care in the Sun”.

Conservation Volunteers are still constructing willow domes and would invite any interested parties to contact their local office or phone 9064 5169.