With the COVID-19 pandemic changing the world as we know it, it is important, now more than ever, to remember that our actions have a huge impact on our environment. As a door manufacturer we want to make sure that our impact on the earth is consistently positive and this year we are hoping to continue to think in a more sustainable way and make a positive impact, not only through our manufacturing processes but including our impact on the local community.
That’s why this year we have put our money where our mouth is, using funds of £3,500 that have been awarded by our US Masonite parents we have embarked on a community project in association with a local Stoke primary school.
Making a positive change to the children’s outdoor environment at Sandon Primary School, we are helping to create a garden using old scrap doors to make beautiful up-cycled planters for the children to grow a range of plants, with seeds being donated by the Eden project – it really is shaping up to be a great joint effort. As well as helping to make the planters, we will also be donating three £200 Smyths Toys vouchers as prizes for an Earth Day poster competition that is being held with the winner being announced today (Thursday 22nd April) with our very own Solidor Operations Director, Neil Bancroft, having the important task of being on the judging panel!
Speaking about our Earth Day efforts Neil said:
“It has been a fantastic opportunity to work with Sandon Primary School. Extending our help, out into the community to create an environment for local children so that they in turn can play and learn about our environment, is a great Earth Day initiative that we are thoroughly proud to be part of!
I can’t wait to see all the beautiful posters on Thursday and crown a winner, although no doubt it is going to be a really tough job!”
So, what have we been up to so far?
Last Friday (16th April) nine parge planters, made up from our laminated panels of colours were taken to site at the School as well as eight 600 litre bags of soil!
Our lovely, dedicated team from Solidor worked all day fixing up the planters from the recycled materials from our factory, placed them in position and finally filled with compost.
Yesterday, the children scattered the wildflower seeds donated by the Eden project into the planters. With each school year having a dedicated planter, the children will learn how to nurture the seedlings and watch them grow so that next year, they can start the whole process again!
On the day…
When all the hard work was done and the planters ready, the children went out into the garden and planted their seeds…then it came down to competition time and the difficult decision of announcing the winning posters! Those who had the difficult task of determining a winner, was that of our very own Peter Skinner, Health and Safety Manager at Solidor, and Adrienne Howells, a representative from GLP, the developer who will be helping to create the exciting new manufacturing site for Solidor in Stoke!
It was such a tough decision that there weren’t just three winners announced for the outstanding artwork but four! A winner was deduced from each age group; Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. All winning a new bike, the children were ecstatic with their achievements! It was a fantastic Earth Day all round.
