VSA, the social care charity supporting the people of Aberdeen and North-east Scotland, has announced the official opening of a new sensory garden at its Linn Moor School facility, supported by Ithaca Energy.
Ithaca Energy not only provided a five-figure sum to enable the complete renovation of the garden space, but 259 members of Ithaca’s team gifted 1,813 hours of volunteer time over a 12-month period transforming the space.
The sensory garden now features an outdoor education space, strawberry planter areas, specialist flora and fauna which support smell and touch, musical play and dedicated seating areas for the children to enjoy the outdoor space.
Anna Garden, director of children’s service at Linn Moor says: “Outdoor Learning is a really valuable part of the curriculum for the children and young people at Linn Moor. This new sensory garden provides an alternative learning environment where children can safely explore and learn to manage the sensory experiences provided in each area. We can’t thank Ithaca Energy enough for creating this new space for the children at Linn Moor.”
Julie McAteer, general counsel of Ithaca Energy and Sue Freeth, CEO of VSA, officially open a new sensory garden at VSA’s Linn Moor School facility, supported by Ithaca Energy
Linn Moor School and Campus is located on the outskirts of Aberdeen, situated on 75 acres of countryside and woodland. The campus provides a nurturing, warm and aspirational learning environment for children and young people living with complex and additional support needs.
Sue Freeth, CEO of VSA says: “The Ithaca Energy team have been inspirational in supporting this project, not only funding the garden but spending so many hours as a team to create this special space. They have been with us for months painting, building, digging, and planting as a group of dedicated volunteers. We can’t thank them enough for their enthusiasm, drive and hard work to complete this incredible new outdoor area for the school pupils to enjoy and learn in.”
Julie McAteer, general counsel of Ithaca Energy says: “It has been a privilege to support this special project at the school and meet some of the children who will benefit from this new space. We are so proud of the ‘Ithaca Energy Sensory Garden’ and our team who have dedicated time and energy to get this to completion this summer. We can’t wait to hear what the teachers and children think of the space and the positive impact it will have as an outdoor education and play space.”
To find out more about Linn Moor School visit https://www.vsa.org.uk/our-services/linn-moor-school