On 28 August 2025, a team of volunteers from Bluewater rolled up their sleeves to give Essendine Primary School’s nursery unit a fresh new look.
Based in North Paddington, the school welcomed the volunteers as they brightened up classrooms and corridors in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) nursery, helping to create a clean and welcoming environment for pupils returning this autumn.
Roll with it – giving tired school walls a glow-up.
The school occupies a large, striking Victorian building, however, upkeep of its facilities is a huge undertaking. Like most primary schools in Westminster, it is experiencing falling pupil numbers which has a significant impact on funding available, and the ability to maintain and care for such a large site.
The volunteers from Bluewater, a private equity firm for the energy sector based in Marble Arch, tackled four zones in the nursery applying fresh coats of white paint to create a welcoming and clean environment for the pupil’s return in autumn term.
The Bluewater volunteer team in action.
The space provides children up to the age of five the opportunity to socialise, explore and learn in sensory settings. By the end of term this can often result in the walls being covered in paint smears and crayon scribbles in addition to the beautiful artwork created by the pupils.
The volunteer team made a huge difference to the appearance of the unit with a task the school would have struggled to complete alongside a number of other maintenance tasks.
Volunteers were confronted with crayon scribbles.
The activities were arranged as part of our Community Programme which supports our business members to connect to local community groups. From environmental projects to skill-sharing to coffee mornings, there is something to suit every community engagement plan that creates memorable moments and sustainable impact.
If you are a Marble Arch BID member and would like to find out more about the wide range of community engagement and employee volunteering opportunities, please contact Phil.
