Mayor declares new trim trail open at infant school

Playtime will be even more fun for pupils from a Burgess Hill school thanks to some new play equipment

Gatton Infant School welcomed mayor Cllr Chris Cherry to cut the ribbon and declare the new trim trail open on Monday, July 23.

Cllr Cherry, who gave a speech at the event, said: “It was absolutely lovely to be there.

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“The children were all beautifully behaved, waving flags they had made for the occasion.

“I was honoured to open the trim trail.

“It was originally a much smaller trail which desperately needed replacing.”

The mayor said the PTA should be congratulated for successfully raising thousands of pounds needed to install the new state of the art equipment. Children, teachers, members of the PTA and governors were present for the grand opening.

Assistant head teacher and inclusion manager Ellie Bennett said: “We are all really excited about this.

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“The children have already been using it for a couple of months, we couldn’t stop them!

“Fundraising for this has been an ongoing process for several years now.

“The old trim trail wasn’t fit for purpose, and the children really wanted a new one.

“The PTA, friends of Gatton, held events such as a school disco and a mini marathon to raise some of the money needed.

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“The rest we managed to get lottery funding and some money from the Tesco Bag Fund.”

The new all weather trim trail consists of a climbing wall, with various balance beams all built on a soft cushioned floor.

The children will be able to use the new obstacle course at play time, and during school fetes and events the wider community will be able to use it too.

Trim trails help children to gain balance for both the body and the mind.

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Incorporating the physical skills needed to navigate an obstacle course, with the imagination required to turn a balance beam into a pirates plank.

Gatton Infant School has 264 pupils aged between four and seven.

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