We are looking to raise £3,000 to establish The Bennett Story Garden within the grounds of the Jenyns Library at Wolverhampton Grammar School. In memory of Carrie Bennett.

The garden will be a unique and innovative way to inspire young people to read, develop literacy skills and connect with nature. The Bennett Story Garden will offer:

• New gardening-based book clubs for children of all ages. Students will be encouraged to select plants, seeds and other features linked to children’s literature to be showcased in the garden

• A QR code system to enable staff, students and visitors to listen to book excerpts read by our students whilst visiting the garden

• Enhanced wellbeing of our community via a hands-on approach to learning about nature

• Workshops that incorporate ‘experiential’ learning to equip children with practical skills and an appreciation for being outdoors. Examples of activities will include creating insect houses, making flower crowns, bird feeders and nature collages. All workshops will link to a range of children's literature

• Free workshops for local state schools to access

• A sensory experience to enrich learning for young people with a range of different needs

• A creative writing competition to challenge schools across Wolverhampton to create original stories themed around a season and an animal native to the UK. Children aged 5 to 8 will have the opportunity to narrate their story and, if they are a competition winner, a plant will be added to the garden in their name and their story will feature on a QR code for staff, students and visitors to hear

The Bennett Story Garden will be named after our WGS colleague and former Director of Marketing and Communications, Carrie Bennett. Carrie was a member of WGS staff for just over 7 years and sadly lost her battle with cancer just before Christmas 2022 at the age of 49. Carrie shared her passion for gardening, cultivation and poetry-based plant-lore by running a club with Junior School students. The Bennett Story Garden will embody her passion for reading, gardening and the wellbeing of our community.

We are looking to raise £3,000. This will go towards the total cost of £8,000 for ground works, plants and furniture. We would like to thank Merchant Taylor's Company for their support and kind donation of £5,000 which was used on initial ground works and infrastructure.

The £3,000 will develop the specific sensory aspects of the garden, provide planters for a vegetable patch, a water feature and showcase the literary, links/signage.

We hope you will be able to support our fundraising to complete The Bennett Story Garden in memory of Carrie.

Whilst The Bennett Story Garden will be officially opened at the end of September (the month of Carrie's birthday), our aim is to have the garden fully operational to our students before the October half term break.

Thank you.