In recent years, Haslemere has curated some wonderful community arts projects aimed at promoting the town, its businesses, art and fun, as well as raising money for charity. In 2017, Barrow Hills decorated a Haslemere Hog which now sits proudly in the garden area near to the art and DT block. In 2018, our partner school King Edward’s Witley took up the baton by decorating a Haslemere Hare named ‘Luminous Lepus’, and in 2019 art scholars and children from Nursery to Year 8 at Barrow Hills painted a Haslemere Hound, now guarding the front door. The projects were the brainchild of Brian Howard, who has close connections with Barrow Hills and King Edward’s, his grandchildren having attended both schools.
At Barrow Hills, we are always keen to look for new ways to stay in touch with our feeder schools and nurseries and this was certainly a challenge for the marketing department during lockdown. Inspired by Brian Howard’s community work we decided to hold a mini Barrow Hills version of the Haslemere animals projects. Brian helped us to procure 20, foot high fibre glass bunnies – not the easiest of tasks as they are made in the Philippines and take several months to reach the UK! The bunnies were then delivered to our feeder nurseries and Pre-Prep classes for the children to decorate.
On the morning of Saturday 26th June, the sun was shining and we were able to welcome families from Barrow Hills and the local nurseries to visit our ‘Woodland Trail’. The challenge was to find all 20 bunnies who had been carefully placed around our Pre-Prep garden and Pre-Prep Forest School. The day was a roaring success with lots of cries of “I’ve found another one!” from the children.
We would like to thank all the children and their teachers who supported us and decorated bunnies, both from Barrow Hills and our local nursery schools; Barnkids, Bright Horizons Godalming, Bright Horizons Haslemere, Brook Nursery School, Busy Bees at Godalming Bridge, Chiddingfold Village Nursery School, Grayswood Nursery and Forest School, Hambledon Nursery, Ladybird Nursery, The Goslings Nursery School, Rocking Horse Nursery, The Wharf Nursery, and Toad Hall Nursery. And finally thank you to Brian Howard for giving us the initial idea, and to Miss Dimmock for organising the event.
