New Kings Furlong headteacher digs in (From Basingstoke Gazette)

New Kings Furlong headteacher digs in

8:47am Tuesday 14th August 2012 in Local By Emily Roberts, Chief Reporter

THE new headteacher of a Basingstoke junior school has set about making his mark by helping a group of volunteers with a gardening project.

Charles Applegate doesn’t start his new job at Kings Furlong Junior School until next month.

But the former assistant head at Marnel Community Junior School, in Popley, showed that he was keen to get stuck in as he helped to brighten up the grounds of his new school during the summer holidays.

He joined a team of four volunteers from Basingstoke firm AXA Wealth, who gave up their time for free as part of the company’s Hearts in Action scheme, which encourages employees to help out with community projects.

The female employees from AXA Wealth, in Winterthur Way, took along their wellies and gardening gloves to dig up weeds at the school, in Upper Chestnut Drive.

Victoria Downs, a customer services representative who organised the project, said: “We are giving up our free time to help a good cause. Work sent us a list of challenges so I decided to see if anyone fancied doing this.

“There was a big tree in the middle of the bed and we have ripped it out and we are replacing it with new soil ready for low maintenance plants. It’s been a bit wet and hard work but we are in good spirits.”

Miss Downs added: “The area is quite important to the school as it is where the children sit to have lunch outside and also where some parents sit to wait for their children leaving school.”

Mr Applegate said: “It will be great for the kids to come back and have new beds planted, and it’s nice to have such good community spirit.”

A group of volunteers from the same company also helped to paint three classrooms at the school in the first week of the summer holidays.