Lovell has joined forces with Dunedin Canmore Housing Association and the Edinburgh branch of Action for Employment (A4E) to create garden furniture from recycled construction materials for an eco-friendly outdoor learning area at Pentland Primary School.

The company, which is currently undertaking two major projects for Dunedin Canmore in Oxgangs and the Moredun/Hyvots areas of Edinburgh, teamed up with A4E which provides training and opportunities for the unemployed.

With guidance from Lovell staff, A4E members were given work experience on site. This allowed them to create the garden furniture, including benches, chairs and tables to be used in the school's outdoor learning area. These were constructed using some of the company's waste materials. Lovell also donated topsoil to be used in the learning area and £200 towards the purchase of new gardening equipment.

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As part of the ongoing development of the learning area, members of staff from Lovell joined Dunedin Canmore, the City of Edinburgh Council, A4E, the school's headteacher Pamela Mackay, and representatives from the Parent Teacher's Association (PTA), for the official opening of its latest addition - a brand new outdoor classroom.

Donated by the PTA, the outdoor classroom is used for different activities and is home to a gardening club for parents and pupils. The youngsters have already planted a variety of flowers and plants, as well as fruits and vegetables such as potatoes, cauliflowers, tomatoes and strawberries.

Lovell regional director, Alan Taylor, said: "By creating furniture for the school's outdoor learning area, we were able to teach members of the A4E programme some valuable practical skills, which will be of great benefit to them when attempting to secure employment in the future. The learning area is an excellent way for the school to show its pupils just how important recycling materials and being environmentally-friendly is."

Fiona Stringfellow, Dunedin Canmore support services director, said: "Our community engagement officer, Sylvia Taylor, has been delighted to be working with Pentland Primary School, parents and children in developing the outdoor classroom which is both an invaluable teaching resource for the future as well as protecting our environment by using sustainable materials."

(GK/NS)