SCHOOLCHILDREN have helped to turn a retirement garden into a wildlife haven.

Pupils from Andover Church of England Primary School’s wildlife group put their skills and knowledge to good use as they installed bug and bee homes into the garden at Chantry Lodge.

The youngsters were invited by Churchill Retirement Living to help make the garden more wildlife friendly by adding a selection of bird boxes, bee biomes and butterfly homes to the development in Chantry Street.

Headteacher Melanie Beardsley said: “We have a great partnership with Chantry Lodge, and this is one of many visits we have made to meet the lovely owners living there. It was fantastic to be asked back to help make the garden more wildlife friendly and the children certainly enjoyed it. "They were really engaged with the owners as they explained all about the different bugs and birds in the garden and it was a great opportunity for the children to get out of school for some outdoor learning.”

Churchill marketing director Deborah Waldeck added: “We were thrilled to host the children from Andover Church of England Primary School once again.

"It is really important to us to keep building links like this with the local community, so we were grateful for their help making our garden at Chantry Lodge somewhere homely and familiar for wildlife.

"The owners really enjoyed talking to the children about the wildlife we see in the garden, and will certainly be welcoming the school back to see how their project is developing later in the year too.”