PRIMARY school kids near Northwich have been getting their hands dirty while doing their bit for the planet.

Delamere C of E Academy is one of 30 schools nominated by local businesses to host news woodlands and wildflower meadows within their school grounds.

The businesses are all customers of haulage firm Speedy Freight, which is funding the scheme with guidance and support from the ecological charity, Earth Restoration Service.   

Schools opting for a new meadow receive packs containing the seeds of up to 100 varieties of native wildflowers, which will be a big boost to local bees and other pollinating insects.

Delamere Academy, which opted for trees, received 50 native saplings to help reforest part of their school grounds, which class teacher, Demi Lewis, hopes will soon be a haven for all manner of birds and wildlife.  

Visitors from Speedy Freight’s Northwich branch dropped in at the school on Monday, January 22, to help the youngsters with their planting task.

Demi said: “It has been so lovely to add another green space to our school grounds.

“The children really enjoyed learning about the benefits of planting trees and the processes involved in doing it.  

"They’re especially excited to water them and watch them grow. They're so passionate about caring for the environment.

“All year groups from reception to year six are involved in our ECO Council, and they've loved having the opportunity to take part in this project.

“It also provided a fantastic link to our plant topics in science, and our environment work in PSHE.

“Not only will the new woodland be beautiful as it develops, it’ll also attract lots of wildlife to the school grounds.”

The Earth Restoration Service was formed in 2001 with the purpose of planting more than 50,000 trees and enough wildflowers to attract 20 million insects to the UK by 2030.

Working with businesses, councils, schools, charities, and community groups, they also manage hedgerow restoration, wildlife corridors, and stream rewilding projects.  

Speedy Freight sales and marketing business partner, Scott Burstow, who went along to help with the planting, said: “The kids at Delamere Academy were awesome.

"There was a genuine interest in what we're doing to help protect the planet.

"The programme helps teach the next generations about the environment, ecology, science, climate change, and the importance of the natural world.

"They all got involved in the planting despite the cold weather. A real asset to the school, each and every one of them."