OVER the festive period, Forest Lodge Garden Centre at Holt Pound, near Binsted, chose to support the students at Treloar School and College by asking customers to donate their loose change as part of the store’s popular Christmas model rail display.

In January, the coins were counted and it was revealed that the Christmas display raised a whopping £1,229.09, all thanks to generous donations.

Simon Hughes, the manager of Forest Lodge, which is based off the A325, visited Treloar’s Holybourne campus on February 8 to present the cheque to school head girl Phoebe and head boy Felix.

The money raised will help toward building a new primary school playground for some of the younger students.

Charlotte Thomas, community fundraiser at Treloar’s, was grateful for the kind support.

“It was great to be chosen by Forest Lodge Garden Centre to be part of their festive fundraising, and to have raised such a lot of money, all thanks to the generosity of Forest Lodge customers, is just wonderful.

“The primary school playground will mean such a lot to the students in the school who will be able to get outside and play just like other school children do – something that we can’t offer them at the moment,” she said.