With the change in the clocks imminent and the onset of winter looming, pupils at Greystoke Primary in Narborough can now look forward to the autumn term without getting stuck in the mud thanks to one Leicester based company.

The recent introduction of ‘Sowgreen’, the artificial alternative to natural grass has turned the once unused infants play ground into a clean safe and fun place to be.

The previous natural grass had become so worn that the area had to be coned off because it was just to muddy to use.

A number of ideas were discussed by both teachers and parents of the school to overcome the problem such as replacing the grass with bark or a rubberised surface but both had their drawbacks.

After a rigorous selection process, Sowgreen was chosen product.

The area was kindly provided by Technical Surfaces, a Leicester company, specialising in synthetic surfaces, with a part contribution made by the school.

Funds were raised by the PTA who held activities throughout the year to raise the capital for various improvements to the school.

Greg Hill, Director at Technical Surfaces, commented “We were more than happy to help with the playground improvements. Our Sowgreen product is perfect for this situation were you still want the look of natural grass but without the maintenance and the mud and mess! Our efforts were more than rewarded by the positive comments we received from the teachers and parents and the smiles on the faces of the children”.

Mrs Thornton, Head Teacher of Greystoke Primary continued “The transformation the new surface has had on the playground is remarkable. What was once an out of bounds area because of the mud, can now be enjoyed throughout the year. In fact when we opened the new area we had problems getting the children back into class because they were enjoying themselves so much! It has certainly been a tremendous success”.

Sowgreen is not just for playgrounds. It was designed primarily for domestic gardens and was successfully launched last year at Grand Designs Live exhibition at the NEC, Birmingham.

For more information Technical Surfaces can be contacted on 0116 2405910 or visit www.sow-green.co.uk