CELEBRATIONS were in order after a Solihull secondary school was handed a cool £10,000.
Lode Heath School was awarded the funding from The National Lottery Community Fund which will be used to give pupils survival skills as well as teamwork, leadership and problem-solving skills.
The school said part of the funding will make the area for an outdoor classroom safe but most of the funds will be spent on a 12-month programme of bushcraft and campcraft taster courses and overnight camps.
These will feature shelter building, pitching tents, safe water collection and the foraging or preparation of camp food.
There will also be the chance for pupils to build and cook on a campfire.
Assistant headteacher Gareth Davies said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this grant means we can support the students in our school in addition to those in the Arden Multi-Academy Trust, our feeder primary schools and other local youth groups.
“All will be invited to use the facility and receive training.
“Outdoor learning and experiences have become even more important to improve everyone’s mental health as we begin to recover from the pandemic.
“This has the opportunity to make a big difference to young people’s lives.”
National Lottery players raise more than £30million a week for good causes across the UK.
The National Lottery Community Fund distributes a share of this to projects to support people and communities to prosper and thrive.
