Pupils at Mount Stuart Primary School have two new places to play, learn and unwind, thanks to the team building Cardiff’s new indoor arena.
Landscaping work by Churngold, a subcontractor working with arena contractor McLaren Construction, has transformed previously unused areas of Mount Stuart Primary. They are now attractive, practical spaces for learning, play and wellbeing activities.
From bare to brilliant
The school’s reception outdoor play area has been completely refurbished, turning a bare and unusable space into a safe, welcoming environment for its youngest learners. In addition, a second area at the front of the school has become a dedicated wellbeing space. It will be used for small group sessions designed to support children’s confidence, self-esteem and emotional wellbeing.
Staff say the new areas will give valuable opportunities for outdoor learning and play, helping children develop through more time spent outdoors.
Headteacher Helen Borley said: “We are really pleased with the newly refurbished areas, which we couldn’t have done without support from McLaren. The pupils are enjoying making both spaces their own with support from the staff. The reception pupils have a lovely new space to play safely and all other pupils are enjoying making the wellbeing garden a calm and welcoming space to rest and relax.”
What are Community Wellbeing Benefits?
The project is part of the Community Wellbeing Benefits linked to the construction of the Atlantic Wharf arena. Formerly known as social value, these are the extra jobs, apprenticeships, education opportunities, community projects, environmental improvements and local economic benefits that Cardiff Council requires developers and contractors to deliver alongside construction projects.
Cardiff Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry, said: “These improvements are a fantastic example of how major developments can deliver lasting benefits for local communities beyond the construction project itself.
“The new outdoor learning and wellbeing spaces will make a real difference to pupils at Mount Stuart Primary School, providing valuable opportunities for play, learning and personal development.”
Paul Ford, Community Engagement Lead for McLaren Construction, said: “Making a lasting difference for the pupils of Mount Stuart School is part of our commitment to positive impact in the local community surrounding Cardiff Arena. We focus our efforts on the initiatives where we can add the most value and improving the school’s outdoor play areas is something that our team, alongside Churngold, enjoyed dedicating their time to. We look forward to continuing working with the Council in supporting local people, organisations and businesses.”
About the arena
Cardiff’s new indoor arena will be a 16,500-capacity, state-of-the-art venue designed for music, with world-class acoustics and sight lines. It is expected to have a transformative impact on the city’s cultural scene and help cement Cardiff’s place on the international touring map.
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