Employee volunteers from Victory Services Club, Bluewater and Halcyon London International School spent the morning of 26 August 2026 transforming a primary school’s sports hall, classroom and grounds.

While teaching was on pause over the summer holidays, the team of 13 volunteers jumped into action to help rejuvenate Essendine Primary School located off Harrow Road in North Westminster.

The school occupies a large, striking Victorian building and grounds, however, upkeep of its facilities and outdoor spaces 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.

Volunteers started the day by tackling the sports hall, which hosts the school’s Physical Education classes. The tired walls were looking a little worse for wear, with a number of scuff marks from basketballs visible.

Volunteers gave the sports hall a new lease of life.

Volunteers rolled up their sleeves and gave the hall a fresh lick of paint to make the walls gleaming white ahead of the start of the new academic year.

No job was too big or small for the team, as they got stuck in to help move furniture to a new classroom, clean chalk and crayon marks from exterior walls, as well as weed unsightly areas of the playground.

The school has a number of planter boxes that create pockets of greenery around the playground, however, most of the current vegetation has not survived the recent heat waves. Volunteers helped remove dead leaves and prune smaller trees and lavender plants to help give them a new lease of life.

Volunteers weeded unsightly planter boxes.

There was still time to carry out more painting, with volunteers also providing an additional classroom with fresh white walls.

The tasks were all backburner projects for the school, alongside contracted refurb work taking place over the summer holidays, which would not have been able to be completed ahead of the new academic year without the help of the volunteers.

Volunteers got through 15 litres of paint during the project.

No job was too big or small for the team!

Walls and windowsills received some TLC.

Many thanks to the volunteers for their energy and enthusiasm to revamp the school.

The activity was arranged as part of our Community Programme which supports our business members to engage in the community. 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.