Community Project Comes to the Classroom

Local schoolchildren are taking an active interest in the redevelopment of two sites in the rural village at Dunsop Bridge.

Plans for the repurposing of an old and disused petrol garage site were unanimously approved by local politicians and planners in May last year, together with proposals for a range of flexible workshops and craft spaces designed to generate local employment opportunities and support local small businesses. The proposals for these derelict buildings were developed in partnership with the local community and will now provide the basis for regular presentations and educational activities around development and construction process and health and safety in the workplace.

Head of Rural Development, Lara Thompson, has already been to the school to talk to the children about the project and the Duchy’s ongoing commitment to protecting the architectural heritage of its historic estates. She explained that the Duchy believes in this instance that it can best support this rural community by bringing redundant buildings back into use and creating new employment opportunities for local people. A few weeks later the first team of building contractors went into school to give a presentation on the critical importance of health and safety on construction sites and their work on the sites in the village. 

Commenting on the levels of interest expressed by the children, Mrs Olga Jackson, Headteacher at Thorneyholme RC Primary School, said: “The energy and enthusiasm of our pupils for learning in all its forms never ceases to amaze us here at school. They are highly inquisitive and very aware of what is going on around them and in the village in general. This is an excellent opportunity for them to learn about the history of the Duchy, the reasoning behind the repurposing of the old petrol garage and how to keep themselves safe and secure around a construction site or building project. We look forward to fielding lots of imaginative questions about the project as their learning increases.”

Lara Thompson added: “We are very keen to foster a greater understanding of the thinking behind our decision to repurpose these old buildings and see this as an excellent teaching opportunity. Future lessons around how we build, heat, insulate, protect and use our buildings will not only provide these children with valuable knowledge, it may also inspire some of them to consider a career in sustainable building design or traditional construction skills at some point in the future.”

Dunsop Bridge is a small and picturesque village on the Duchy of Lancaster’s historic Whitewell estate in Lancashire. Located in the Borough of Ribble Valley and in the heart of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that is the Forest of Bowland, the village lies 9 miles to the north-west of Clitheroe and 15 miles south-east of Lancaster.