Pupils at Glan Llyn Primary School in Newport flexed their musical abilities last week as they welcomed brand new instruments – including violins, cellos, glockenspiels and recorders.
The instruments, which are already being used in music classes across the school, have been gifted by St. Modwen, the UK’s leading developer of new communities and high-quality homes, through its Community Impact Fund, which was launched to provide support for communities throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The primary school received £5,000 from St. Modwen to purchase the new instruments.
Pupils in years one and two have been mastering the strings of their new violins and cellos under the guidance of a tutor, whose time has also been funded by the grant.
Meanwhile, pupils in later years tested new glockenspiels and recorders, with the school holding class teaching to unlock the children’s musical talents.
Jo Richards, headteacher of Glan Llyn Primary School, said: “The pupils are enjoying the opportunity to develop new musical skills with their classmates, and have been very excited to use the violins and cellos. In the future we’re planning to hold a performance for the children’s parents and carers to enjoy.
“It’s great that we’re able to carry out this creative project following the lengthy disruptions to schooling caused by the pandemic. Music has so many benefits for children, including improving listening, attention skills and memory retention and relieving stress – something which has been especially important in recent years.
“We are extremely grateful to St. Modwen for this grant which has enabled us to purchase the instruments for the school and to continue running this project for our year one and two pupils for many years to come”.
St. Modwen is the master developer behind Glan Llyn, which is transforming the former Llanwern Steelworks into a high quality and sustainable community development. Over 850 homes have already been delivered to date alongside community facilities and employment spaces.
The development features three new lakes and a parkland setting across more than 80 acres of open, green space, with footpaths and cycle routes throughout enabling schoolchildren and residents to enjoy the nature on their doorstep.
Lucinda Clason-Thomas, resident portfolio manager at St. Modwen, said: “It’s great to see the pupils at Glan Llyn Primary School enjoying their new instruments. We want to help children in the local area to thrive and are happy to provide opportunities for pupils to learn a new skill which will be a great way to boost their confidence and creativity.”
