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Whipperley Infant Academy wanted to create a sheltered area over their beach-themed sandpit area at the front of the school. The school is in an area where some children may unfortunately not have the opportunity to visit the seaside, so the school wanted to recreate the beach experience for the children.
The requirement
As the weather isn’t always ideal, a cover was required so that the school’s sandpit can be used all year round. Canopies UK Area Sales Manager Stephen Wruk met with the school to discuss their requirements and make notes of exactly what they wanted to achieve.
The canopy needed to successfully create shelter over the sandpit area so that children could play in all weather. It also needed to fit in well visually with the school’s surroundings and not obstruct the children’s play.
The challenge
The canopy was to be installed in the large sandpit area which contained several tonnes of sand. In fact, the school had recently had a 5-tonne sand delivery to “top up” the sandpit area.
Digging out the area to install a large concrete base was a challenge, although the biggest challenge we faced was guttering. As the canopy was covering a sandpit, we needed to ensure any water from rain could be drained away from the sandy area.
The solution
Our umbrella canopy was the proposed solution by our Area Sales Manager Stephen. The canopy would be installed in such a way that the coverage would be maximised without hindering the experience of the sandpit for the children.
We used 1 x 7500mm Umbrella Canopy with additional guttering. The specially designed gutter outlet was used to disperse any water away into the nearby bushes, avoiding getting the sand wet.
To overcome the challenge of installing the base in the sand, we used a large excavator and mechanical help to install the central post.
Results
The school agreed that Canopies UK design was the best solution for the area from all the other suggestions they had been given. We offered many different colour options that they could choose from to make sure they got the decision correct. In the end, a black post with a green canopy was chosen, which fit in well with the school’s surroundings.
The canopy was completed by the Canopies UK team earlier than anticipated, and the school are very pleased with the end result. It means the children can enjoy the beach experience during break times all year round, no matter the weather.
“I would like to say a massive thank you for the professionalism shown during our canopy project – from when Stephen first visited us to the way the installation staff were whilst on site last week.”
Sarah, Whipperley Academy