A dedicated team of employee volunteers from The Portman Estate helped breathe new life into a local primary school’s playground and sensory garden, which had been out of bounds to pupils since January 2026 due to safety concerns.

The Early Years playground at Essendine Primary School, in North Westminster just off Harrow Road, had become untidy and unsafe. Thanks to the team of eight volunteers, who spent a sunny afternoon on 8 April 2026 clearing and improving the site, Early Years pupils will return from the Easter holidays able to access the space once again.

Volunteers working together to clear the school playground.

The school occupies a large, striking Victorian building and grounds; however, maintaining its facilities and outdoor spaces is a significant undertaking. Like many primary schools in Westminster, it is experiencing falling pupil numbers, which has a direct impact on funding and the ability to care for such an extensive site.

Volunteers rolled up their sleeves to clear dead leaves, clean gutters and walls, remove rotting wood, and organise bulky items across the playground. They also helped improve the school’s sensory garden, an outdoor space designed to stimulate the senses, making it easier for staff to maintain. The garden provides a safe, calming environment for children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to explore their senses in a natural setting.

Nine bags of leaves and rubbish were collected.

Clearing the way!

Bark chips were added to five planter boxes, helping to suppress weed growth and retain soil moisture, reducing the need for frequent watering, an important time-saving measure for a school with such a large outdoor space. The team also repaired the garden’s ivy screen fencing and removed weeds.

Bark chips were added to planter boxes.

Volunteers repairing the ivy screen fencing.

Thank you to the team from The Portman Estate for their hard work and for purchasing all the materials needed for this activity.

The activity was arranged as part of our Community Programme, which supports our business members in engaging with the local community. From environmental projects to skill-sharing initiatives and coffee mornings, the programme offers a range of opportunities to create meaningful connections and deliver lasting local impact.