Wickes celebrates school wellbeing challenge winner
Home improvement retailer Wickes has announced the winner of its newly launched Wickes School Wellbeing Challenge.
Run in partnership with The Inspirational Learning Group, the competition encourages students to think creatively, develop new skills and think about careers in the retail industry.
Students aged 13 to 14 were asked to transform an underutilised or damaged space within their school into an area that promotes physical, mental, or emotional wellbeing using a budget of £2,000.
Some 14 finalists presented their projects to a panel of Wickes judges on 12 November.
The winning entry, designed by The Duston School in Northampton, was praised for its idea of transforming an unused space in the school into a Zen Garden as the school looked to provide a calm, sensory-friendly retreat for neurodiverse students.
The school will now have the opportunity to see the designs transformed into a real-life project with £2,000 worth of products donated by Wickes.
Over 2,000 students in 14 schools across the UK participated in the competition, with guidance provided by Wickes store managers, regional leaders, and other colleagues who served as mentors throughout the challenge.
Sonia Astill, chief people officer at Wickes said: “The Wickes School Wellbeing Challenge is a great new initiative which supports our Responsible Business strategy. We’re proud to connect with these students, to encourage their creativity, and to give them insights into the diverse opportunities at Wickes. This initiative truly reflects our commitment to social mobility and inspiring the next generation of talent.”
