Tesco Bags of Help: Celebrations as cash handed out

From gardens and playing fields to forest schools and nature spots, a range of different projects will benefit from awards of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 from Tesco and Groundwork's Bags of Help scheme.

Eight projects in Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall have all being handed cash payouts funded by the 5p bag levy.

Tesco shoppers and Express & Star readers were given the chance to have a say on what grant each group should receive through a community vote.

Glebefields Primary School in Sandgate Road, Tipton was chosen to receive a grant of £12,000.

Staff will use the money to improve the school's own Forest School as well as the planting of new trees and shrubs.

They will also be able to improve the storage facilities to safely keep outdoor resources out of the weather.

Kriss Briggs, health and wellbeing mentor at Glebefields Primary School, said: "Our aim is to boost wellbeing among pupils by helping them to view going outside and enjoying the natural environment as an alternative to sitting inside playing computer games.

"We want to increase their knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the woodland around them."

Another winner of a £12,000 grant was the Friends of Homer Hill Park in Cradley.

Members will use the money to install a new fitness trail for children aged five and over which they hope to have up and running within the next six months.

Val Bloomer, secretary of The Friends of Homer Hill Park, said: "There will be a series of pieces of equipment to run across, climb up or down. It's all about getting children moving and being active in the park.

Ellowes Hall Sports College in Lower Gornal has been selected to receive a £10,000 grant to transform its school grounds.

Called The Wildside at Ellowes, it involves creating a range of different habitats including a wetland area for frogs, newts and toads and a wildflower meadow for bees and other pollinators.

Alan Jasper, headteacher of the college which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, says: "This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn about wildlife as well as discover how they can play their part in conserving it.

"We're really grateful for the backing that local people have given us, particularly as this coincides with our anniversary year."

Hamstead Infant School in Great Barr has been chosen to receive the £10,000 grant, which will be used to create an outdoor classroom for the children.

Expected to be completed in two months, children will be able to enjoy the outdoors whatever the weather. Wooden chairs and tables fitting with a woodland environment will be installed.

Deputy headteacher Tracey Hollingworth said: "This will be great for the children, we have an outdoor classroom before but we couldn't continue to use it so it will be really good when we can get the new one up and running for the sunnier weather."

Ten Acre Wood in Wednesbury will benefit from a £10,000 cash boost.

Wednesbury Rugby Club, in partnership with Friends of Ten Acre Wood and Old Park School, has drawn up plans to improve the site, off Woden Road North, which was saved from developers.

Peter Hughes, from Wednesbury Rugby Club, said: "We are going to create a woodland walk for the community." There will also be new paths and fences to protect playing areas at the rugby club, he added.

Growing in the Park which is a community walled garden project at Stevens Park in Wollescote has been awarded £8,000.

The money will be used to transform an old greenhouse so it can be used for growing plants and vegetables as well as work to improve paths around the site.

The group plans to run community courses, workshops and family events in the glasshouse and use it for volunteers to produce plants for sale.

Martin Mueller from Growing in the Park said: "This is a project for the local community and we are pleased to receive this money to help it grow."

Another winner of an £8,000 grant is the Sow We Grow project in Sandwell.

It will be used to create a community garden which will be used to inspire budding gardeners to recreate what they see at home.

The project, based at Bleakhouse Library, will also include an an online information site, housing a multitude of resources, including gardening tips, recipes, information about up-coming events and short films highlighting the outdoor activities available in the garden – both creative and practical.

Stephen Whitehead, creative director at Countershade Community Interest Company, which is behind the project, said: "We want to create a mother garden where people can get seeds, cuttings, information and training to go home and make their own kitchen gardens."

Birchills Church of England Community Academy's Community Space project will receive £8,000.

A neglected site will be transformed to provide area for the school Under-10's football clubs to practise their skills and hold tournaments. The project will give the site some much needed TLC by replanting damaged trees, fixing the perimeter fence and trimming back the overgrowth. It is hoped the whole community will be able to use the space to hold events.