Kingsbridge Community College has a smart new picket fence at its entrance thanks to a collaboration between the college PTFA and Kingsbridge Men’s Shed

Over the Easter holidays the fence has been erected around a patch of green space which is full of daffodil bulbs and dedicated to the late teacher who planted them.

The new structure will protect the area as well as smarten up the entrance to the college.

PTFA member Maria Harding said: ‘The fence is superb. We are delighted and so much craftwork and expertise has gone into it .

‘Men’s Shed came here during the first week of the Easter holidays and worked on it. Much of what we do is all geared towards exams and grades but it’s lovely that we have been able to work with Men’s Shed who want to give something back to the community.’

The fence has cost just over £1,500 in materials which was raised through PTFA events throughout the year.

A stall and raffle at the Kingsbridge Celebrates Christmas event, an afternoon cream tea and summer event at the school with music has all brought in cash for the ‘nice to haves’ not ‘must haves’, said Maria, and various projects which have been funded over the years in this way have included: computer tablets to help with communication for Ukrainian students at the college, athletic and rugby club vests, photographic equipment, black out blinds for the photography rooms, contributions towards challenge week so all children can take part in residential trips at the end of the academic year and different activities like rock climbing and headphones.

On April 27 the PTFA will be running a quiz at the school as its next fundraiser. People will need to book using the QR code on this page.

Alan Kerr from Kingsbridge Men’s Shed said the fence project was the first collaboration with Kingsbridge Community College and even the school caretaker was brought in to dig the holes.

‘Three of our members were the key players in this with John Scales at the helm, and Alan Parker and Christopher Arnold also helping.

‘We have built some planters for another school before but I think this will be the first of many projects with Kingsbridge Community College.’

Men’s Shed or Men in Sheds is an national initiative to support older men who want to get together, share and learn new skills — all in the welcoming space of a shed.

In Kingsbridge the group was set up in 2016 without a premises but in 2019 it was given a piece of land at The Mounts, three miles out of the town to put a shed on. The group has grown to 14 members and has many more people who want to join.

Recently the shedders have been involved in building bug hotels, bird boxes and herb boxes for a community garden at the Pickwick Inn, at St Ann’s Chapel and is currently building a ‘Chitty Chitty Bang’ vehicle for a local theatre production.

The group meets on Mondays and Thursdays at The Mounts at 2pm. To find out more go to https://kingsbridgeshed.co.uk