Holy Rood School pupils unveil bug hotel donated by Watford-based housebuilder

‘The Mini Vinnies’, a group of Holy Rood School’s green-fingered pupils, were tasked with designing their dream bug hotel for the residents at Greenbanks Care Home. ‘The Mini Vinnies’ are so called because they are the youngest members of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, who aim to 'see, think, do' to take action in their community helping those who need it most.

To celebrate the unveiling and see their designs come to life, the pupils brought along their posters to present to the care home residents. With close ties to the local school and proximity to the housebuilder’s head office in Watford, this activity was organised by parents and friends of the community keen to bring wildlife to the gardens of Greenbanks.

Bug hotels provide a safe space for a range of animals and insects, from hedgehogs to toads, as well as smaller bugs. The hotels also add nutrients to the surrounding soil which, in turn, supports wider ecosystems.

Marc Woolfe, Director of Sales & Marketing at Barratt David Wilson North Thames, comments: “The launch of the new bug hotel with Holy Rood School marks our continued commitment to providing homes for nature across the region. Through growing our wildlife network and incorporating as many ecosystems as possible, we want to inspire young and old members of our community to introduce similar insect-friendly projects in their own gardens.

“It’s been a joy to see generations come together through a project like this. We’re committed to supporting wildlife-friendly spaces and helping communities thrive – this bug hotel is a small but meaningful example of that in action.”

Aoife Boyle, Mini Vinnie co-ordinator at Holy Rood School, adds: “Introducing bug hotels is an important move to expand the wildlife features and one that will support the wider lifecycles of surrounding ecosystems. Thanks to Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes’ donation, large populations of insects will now have a safe habitat to return to. Our pupils thoroughly enjoyed designing their own bug hotels and it was so lovely to see the impact the bug hotel unveiling had on the Greenbanks’ Care Home residents.”

Nirmala Singhvi, Lifestyle Lead at Greenbanks Care Home, comments: “This was a fantastic donation to receive and a wonderful addition to our garden – our residents can even spot the bug hotel from their windows. It has put a smile on everyone’s faces and events such as these show the real impact of community. We are extremely grateful to Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, and to all the lovely pupils of Holy Rood School who designed our brand-new bug hotel.”

With a commitment to enhancing biodiversity across its developments, Barratt David Wilson North Thames has also opened 15 hectares of public open space and private gardens - equivalent to 22 football pitches of green space.

Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes is building a range of new homes across Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, in locations such as Aylesbury, Leighton Buzzard and Houghton Regis, with a development in Hitchin and Hemel Hempstead coming soon.