Little Hoole and Friends Ground Force

Little Hoole and Friends Ground Force Parent-led volunteers improving Little Hoole Primary school grounds.

Project - Wildflower AreaAnother project taking shape, planter 1 of 2 is nearly complete. What was once an overgrown mix...
31/05/2026

Project - Wildflower Area

Another project taking shape, planter 1 of 2 is nearly complete. What was once an overgrown mix of weeds and remnants of the sensory flowers from years gone by is coming back to life.

Edging built using 100% recycled wood from the pond decking and topped with boards dislodged from the path area. Even 80% of the screws came from the decking area.

Weeds are being suppressed by cardboard salvaged from the school bins and topped with compost kindly donated by JCR-Recycling

A second planter needs to be built then both planted with sensory wildflowers kindly funded by Much Hoole Parish Council.

The hard work by the ground force is paying off for Little Hoole Primary School and it's pupils.

On the 6th of June we are all onsite starting the big clear out of the woodland area led by David Eastham and -leigh Eastham, turning the woodland into a Forest School type area and Campsite.

We will hopefully be joined by Councillors from both Little Hoole and Much Hoole Parish too.

We will keep these posts coming, please reach out if you would like to support, sponsor or just have any questions or ideas.

Little Hoole and Friends Ground Force

P.s. also found one of our resident frogs hiding behind a shed 🐸

Cooler evening, setting sun, watering the pond, planters and vegetable garden. Does it get much better?Also, watch this ...
28/05/2026

Cooler evening, setting sun, watering the pond, planters and vegetable garden.

Does it get much better?

Also, watch this space for updates on the next phase of the wildflower and sensory plant area in the next few days.

Half Term Maintenance Mode, watering across the site to keep the Ground Force, Teachers, Children and Parents projects a...
24/05/2026

Half Term Maintenance Mode, watering across the site to keep the Ground Force, Teachers, Children and Parents projects alive.

I watered the plants while the children watered each other.

Going to need to source sprinklers, hosepipes and automatic watering setup for Summer Holidays.

Open to ideas on how to keep a large site watered.

🌸 Project Wildflower & Sensory Area: Step One Complete! 🐝What once was a beautiful sensory garden had slowly become a be...
19/05/2026

🌸 Project Wildflower & Sensory Area: Step One Complete! 🐝

What once was a beautiful sensory garden had slowly become a bed of a few hardy survivors, a mass of weeds, and a chaotic "elephant path" carved out by the children.

While we could have tried to pass it off as an intentional wildflower jungle, we knew this space deserved some serious love!

So, at our recent Ground Force morning, our amazing team tackled it head-on. We spent the morning weeding, strimming, turning over the soil, and hauling away the waste to give this area a fresh lease of life.

The sun was shining, spirits were high, and everyone stuck right in:

🐜 Snail rescuing: Katie was on weeding and snail-hunting duty, saving the local wildlife so the kids could observe them safely later!
🌾 Testing the limits: Dave pushed his strimmer to the absolute limit (he actually went out and bought himself one the next day, so it must have been good).
💪 The great spade battle: The rock-hard, dry ground proved a challenge, with a few of us finding ourselves completely balancing atop spades that flat-out refused to dig!
🚜 Tractor time: John Cooper Recycling delivered a fresh load of compost, giving the kids a brilliant chance to sit in the tractor and play in the dirt—good old-fashioned, device-free fun and learning!
🌱 Ripping it up: Jasmin arrived with a cultivator tool and put us all to shame, effortlessly ripping through the tough soil.
🚶‍♂️ Making it official: Kirsty worked her magic to transform the "elephant path" into a proper, purposeful walkway for the kids to dart through.

What’s next?

This is very much a work in progress, but we are absolutely thrilled to share that Much Hoole Parish Council has kindly provided a grant to help us complete this Wildflower area! Once finished, it will give our local ecology and biodiversity a massive boost, creating a fantastic space for community groups to research and learn about sensory plants and wildflowers.

Our school has a vast site, and we are already planning big things for next year! If you’d like to play a role in making our school grounds amazing for the kids, we’d love to have you on board.

📧 Reach out at: [email protected]
💬 Or drop a message directly to our page!

P.s. if you want the details of the strimmer, just ask, I am sure Dave will let you know the details.

🧹 The Big Clean Up: How a Small Idea Sparked a Community Movement 🧼It all started with a simple observation. Two parents...
19/05/2026

🧹 The Big Clean Up: How a Small Idea Sparked a Community Movement 🧼

It all started with a simple observation. Two parents noticed that giving the school railings a good clean would instantly lift the look and feel of the entire site.

Fast forward a short while, and that single thought has blossomed into a fantastic group of parents, children, school staff, and community leaders—all working together to give our kids the best possible outdoor learning spaces!

For our first official mission, we tackled the Reception playground. The canopies and bike shed were covered in moss, and the field and woodland areas were overgrown and in need of some serious TLC.

The PTA had already done an amazing job fundraising for the brilliant new playground images and activities, so we wanted to make sure the rest of the area matched their hard work!

Armed with power washers, tools, and a lot of elbow grease, here is what we achieved:

✨ High-flying cleaning: Holly's Toys worked tirelessly cleaning the canopy from top to bottom, using a genius homemade extendable brush (put together using a brush head and a paint roller extender!).
✨ Gutter rescue: We cleared out the guttering, removing piles of moss and an impressive collection of lost tennis balls—turning the gutters back to bright white from algae green!
✨ Power washing: Every single railing and piece of playground equipment got a thorough blast to make it look like new.
✨ Woodland grooming: Hannah, Peter, Sally, and Martha popped by and did an amazing job clearing branches and debris from the field. They even cut back the prickly holly so the children can run through the woods safely without getting scratched!
✨ Bike shed blitz: The bike shed got a massive scrub by Kirsty completely clearing away years of built-up moss and algae.

The transformation:

This massive clean-up has completely transformed the school's kerb appeal, brightened up the view for our local neighbours, and—most importantly—given the children a clean, safe space they can enjoy to the absolute fullest. (Plus, the upcycled planters made from the old pond decking are now sitting proudly in this playground!).

We need your help for the next step! 🚧

To make this space even more flexible for outdoor learning, we want to add gates and fences next. If you can help us with funding, building materials, or local contacts to help get this done, please reach out!

📧 Email us at: [email protected]
💬 Or send a direct message to the page!

Thank you to everyone who showed up, scrubbed, and supported us. Together, we're making a massive difference! 💙

🐸 Project Pond: Mission (nearly) accomplished 🌾We’ve taken an unloved, forgotten space and brought it back to life as an...
19/05/2026

🐸 Project Pond: Mission (nearly) accomplished 🌾

We’ve taken an unloved, forgotten space and brought it back to life as an incredible educational asset for the children at Little Hoole Primary School

As the first major project for Little Hoole and Friends Ground Force, we started with zero funding—just pure parent determination, brilliant support from the school, and some amazing local people and businesses. Once the grass takes root, this transformed space will open up fantastic opportunities for pond dipping and observing the frogs who have already settled in!

Here is a look at the incredible teamwork that made it happen:

🔨 Stripping it back: We removed all the old decking and base (huge thanks to Joanne Jones and family for your hard work and tools!).
🧼 The big clean: Mr Stammers (Headteacher) and Holly's Toys worked tirelessly to clean up all the decking boards.
🌱 Upcycled planters: The Nelson family collected the old wood and transformed it into amazing planters, even reusing the original decking screws so it was 100% recycled!
🪵 Spreading the love: The remaining wood from the pond didn't go to waste—it's already been used to build fences and planters across the wider school site.
🪏 Heavy lifting: The pond area was stripped back, and a massive clay hill was dug out by hand and moved across the site.
🚜 Soil & Compost support: JCR-Recycling kindly donated a massive amount of compost to level the site, and Little Hoole Parish Council sourced and donated soil to fill the new planters.
🏗️ A massive time-saver: The Thompson family brought in their telehandler to lift and shift the compost, saving us hours of backbreaking labour!
🌱 Green fingers: Local reception parents were invited in to plant with their children, and the results speak for themselves!
🌾 Finishing touches: A local business kindly donated and sowed the grass seed.

Where we are now:

The grass is growing, the excitement is building, and we are well on our way to getting the site ready for pond dipping in the near future! Next up, we’ll be teaming up with Little Hoole Parish Council to look into getting some benches for the area.

This project isn't just about a pond—it boosts local biodiversity, creates vibrant outdoor learning opportunities, and adds a beautiful community asset in a safe setting for our kids.

Thank you to absolutely everyone who lent a hand, donated, or cheered us on. We couldn't have done it without you! Group effort at its finest. 💙

If you would like to offer support, sponsorship or feedback please reach out to us at

[email protected]

Or message Little Hoole and Friends Ground Force

Address

Dob Lane, Much Hoole
Preston
PR45QL

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