Children, teachers and families have celebrated the refurbishment of a school's memorial garden following a £40,000 project.

Uplands School and Brimble Hill School, both in Swindon, marked the completion of works on Tuesday, May 21, with a ceremony,

Councillor Vinay Manro from Haydon Wick Parish Council and William Wyldbore-Smith, chairman of the Brunel Academies Trust board of trustees, attended.

Swindon Advertiser: £40,000 was raised to transform the garden£40,000 was raised to transform the garden (Image: Brunel Academies Trust)

Since 2011, the memorial garden has been a spot to remember loved ones, leading families to help raise £40,000 for its transformation.

The fund has been invested to split the garden into different zones including a growing area, a socialising zone with wheelchair picnic benches, a learning zone with a sensory rainbow canopy for reading, and a reflective zone for mindfulness practice.

One teacher said children are much calmer when they are in the garden.

Swindon Advertiser: Military engagement activities took place to raise awareness of the upcoming D-Day anniversaryMilitary engagement activities took place to raise awareness of the upcoming D-Day anniversary (Image: Brunel Academies Trust)

Uplands School combined the day with military engagement activities to raise awareness of the upcoming 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

They were joined by the 5 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers located in Lyneham, who provided a variety of activities within the schools’ grounds.

D-Day, which took place on June 6, 1944, in Normandy, is the largest seaborne invasion in history.