THE Erme Primary School’s shiny new teaching kitchen, the result of weeks of hard work and months of fundraising, has been officially opened.

Members of parents, teachers and friends group the Friends of The Erme Primary School and representatives of local businesses joined pupils and teachers to cut the ribbon on Wednesday.

The fully equipped kitchen is already in use by youngsters, who are benefiting from the facilities to learn about food, cooking and healthy eating.

The project has come about as a result of tireless fundraising by the Friends, who raised £4,500 over the last year-and-a-half to make the dream a reality. Local businesses including Richardsons Legal Services, Peter Cottell Electrical Services and The Miner’s Arms at Hemerdon also provided valuable support in money or expertise.

Work started early this year to convert what used to be the school’s staff room into a modern, bright and airy space. And a core group of Friends gave up many weekends in succession to complete the work.

Friends chairman Kay Winstone explained the process the group had gone through to reach its goal, from fundraising and grants applications, to the build and the handover to pupils. She noted cooking had been a part of the national curriculum since 2014, and the new kitchen would allow pupils to fully engage with the subject.

Before the new facilities were installed, the school was making do with just a two ring cooker and oven ’Baby Belling’-type appliance.

Now the kitchen is complete, the Friends are turning their attention to other projects for the benefit of pupils. Two planters have just been ordered, which will allow youngsters to grow their own ingredients for use in the kitchen, and at the opening David Richardson of Richardsons Legal Services offered to pay for a further planter.

And Kay has been submitting grant applications for a new project, to resurface and improve the school’s outdoor games area in Victoria Park. She said the group will continue to organise fundraising events, and gave advance notice of a mini Strictly Come Dancing event being planned for early next year.