Date published: 07 August 2025
Children at a primary school in Somerset have been provided play equipment and wall art by leading housing provider Stonewater and their retrofit partner LivGreen.
The Children’s Scrapstore PlayPod is located in West Coker Primary School’s playground, with the wall art installed in the school’s library.
A Scrapstore PlayPod is an external structure filled with large loose parts and scrap materials for children to access and play with however they choose, encouraging imaginative play, creativity and physical activity every lunchtime.
The donation was made following a series of retrofit works carried out at Stonewater homes in West Coker. This work resulted in the energy efficiency and comfort of the homes being raised to a minimum SAP C, with some homes achieving SAP B.
Representatives from Stonewater, LivGreen and Children’s Scrapstore came together to celebrate the installation and to see firsthand the positive impact it has had on the school children. The Scrapstore PlayPod programme included play training and mentoring for school staff to support the children’s free play and maximise the potential of the loose parts.
Emma Mifflin, Head of Retrofit Delivery at Stonewater, said: “We were delighted to make these donations to West Coker Primary School alongside LivGreen. When embarking on the project and deciding on the social inclusion details, we were particularly interested in the sustainability focus of the Scrapstore PlayPod and how it will benefit the school children.
“The idea behind the Scrapstore PlayPod links perfectly to Stonewater’s overall sustainability goals. The retrofit work that has been completed at our homes locally has been well received by customers and will help reduce customers’ energy bills for years to come.”
Nicola Taute, Social Value Lead at LivGreen added; “After a successful retrofit programme with Stonewater, our social value commitment allowed us to give back to the community. Seeing the children’s faces and the joy it has brought to the school was amazing to be a part of.”
Phillip Hayland, Headteacher at West Coker Primary School, said: “We are very grateful to LivGreen and Stonewater for their generosity. The PlayPod has been transformative for our playtimes; it has enhanced creativity, improved physical activity and increased social interaction. It encourages free play, promotes problem-solving, negotiation skills and self-confidence.
"The PlayPod has also contributed to a reduction in waste and is a good example of how we can re-use and recycle what would otherwise just be thrown away.”
Lucy Rae, Development Manager at Children’s Scrapstore said: “We’re thrilled that the children of West Coker Primary School are benefiting from high quality play provision during the school day. Having the freedom to play creatively outside with others is vital for their physical, social and emotional wellbeing, which feels more important now than ever.
“The PlayPod is fully stocked and will be regularly replenished with recycled scrap materials, aligning with our sustainability goals whilst making wastethings playthings.”
In March 2025, Stonewater was granted government funding as part of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 3 scheme. This funding is being used to improve the energy efficiency of Stonewater homes by installing a variety of retrofit measures, such as solar panels, air source heat pumps, insulation and double glazing.
To find out more about Stonewater’s retrofit work, go to https://www.stonewater.org/about-us/thought-leadership/realising-retrofit/.