Our Garden Gathering took place on Friday (8th Sept) at the school and we had a wonderful time – we hope all our attendees did too! This was the first official event held at St Crispin’s to celebrate our wonderful new building, but more importantly, an opening for our new gardens. Our pupils will benefit and enjoy having these outdoor spaces in many different ways for years to come and we are honoured to name them after two very treasured figures – Ellie and Gilbert.
Ellie was a Nursery Nurse at St Crispin’s School for over 20 years and sadly passed away this year; she was loved by many at St Crispin’s and brightened the lives of countless pupils and staff members over the years. She also loved gardening and nature, taking a keen interest in supporting our pupils to experience the therapeutic joy of the outdoors too. Ellie’s Garden is on the Junior side of school, with Gilbert’s Garden on the Seniors’. Gilbert was an active member of the local community and a founder member of the Friends of Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park. We are grateful for a donation from Gilbert’s Church towards the development of our gardens. Both Ellie and Gilbert have a hand-carved bench made in their names on school grounds to symbolise their impact on the school and our gardens. We hoped this event would would be a fitting tribute to them, as well as a celebration of their contribution to St Crispin’s – and to invite families/carers and friends of the school to join us in a big garden party!
What a party it was and we were spoiled with the lovely weather! David Fox (HT) welcomed everyone with a speech before Fischy Music performed. Our pupils loved this as Fischy is a firm favourite in our school. After some tunes in the sun, guests were invited into the hall where crafts and baking made specially from our pupils and staff were on offer, alongside teas and coffees. We also had a visit from Les’ Menagerie, who brought an array of animals including alpacas, donkeys, goats and sheep! Our pupils absolutely loved the chance to walk amongst the animals in Ellie’s Garden – as did our staff and guests. The day was topped off with ice-cream delivered to pupils in class to help them cool off, and a lovely slideshow for family and friends in the Gym Hall, featuring photos of our school’s journey from Watertoun Road to Burdiehouse Crescent.
We are thrilled to have had such a successful event, with the Garden Gathering proving to be a wonderful day for our pupils, families & friends of St Crispin’s, staff and honoured guests. We also managed to raise an amazing £342.43! This money will go towards buying resources and materials to continue the development of Gilbert & Ellie’s Gardens and ensure our pupils are getting as much from these outdoor spaces as they can. We are incredibly grateful for all donations and extend our gratitude to all who attended and donated. Many thanks also to Starbucks and Morrisons for donating resources for this event.
We hope to see you all again for another event soon! 🌳🌷🎸🎉
