Green Initiatives Bag Prizes
Two local schools were each £3,000 richer after their ideas for caring for their local environment were judged winners in a green initiatives scheme.
Teams from Bridgemere CE Primary School, Nantwich, and Ruskin Sports and Languages College, Crewe, took top honours in the Go Green Environmental Innovations Awards. The new competition, organised and sponsored by Go Green Car and Van Rental of Crewe and Whitchurch in association with Cheshire County Council and Reaseheath College, recognised those schools which are actively working towards a more sustainable future.
Fifty primary and secondary schools in the Crewe and Nantwich area were invited to take part and representatives from the six shortlisted entries were invited to an ‘Oscars’ style celebration at Reaseheath College.
 Bridgemere’s ‘Greenbeings Challenge’ took the primary category after their idea for encouraging more thoughtful use of everyday items caught the judges’ eye. The school plans to send each of its 74 pupils home with a household object such as a plug, peg or plastic bag and families will concentrate on saving energy around that item. A barometer will record the amount of energy saved.
The idea was the brainchild of parent Debbie Fitzsimons and quickly adopted by pupils who sit on a school council.
Said Head Teacher Jane Dickinson: “We felt this was a simple idea which could be rolled out to the whole of our community. We are absolutely over the moon to have been chosen as winners. The money will allow us to expand the scheme.”
 In the secondary school category, Ruskin Sports and Languages College took the honours with its waste reduction and recycling project. The college has reduced its general waste collection from seven to four bins weekly since increasing its efforts to recycle paper and plastic. The local community are encouraged to use recycling facilities on site.
The 700-pupil college intends to invest its prize money in long lasting steel bins which will enable it to expand its project.
Said Finance Officer Hazel Richardson: “The pupils have really taken the idea of recycling to heart. We have a very active eco council and members want to tackle all aspects of waste, from energy consumption to litter.”
Other finalists were Pear Tree Primary School, Stapeley; Gainsborough Primary School, Crewe; Sir William Stanier Community School, Crewe and Sir Thomas More Catholic High School, Crewe.
Go Green Car and Van Rental, which was launched last year, has pledged one percent of the company’s turnover to educate local young people about the environmental challenges that will face them in adulthood.
Explained Managing Director David Blackhurst: “We launched the awards because we want to make a significant and valuable contribution to educating young people while continuing to do our bit for the environment. The £6,000 prize money is what we estimate will offset the company’s carbon footprint this year.
‘The level of enthusiasm and professionalism set by the finalists was truly impressive and this made our job of deciding the winning schools very difficult. The winners are a credit to their schools and the community as a whole. We were looking for ideas which will make a difference and were hugely impressed, particularly as the entries came from the business leaders of the future.”
Said Andrew Arditti, The Council’s Communications Manager for Children’s Services: “All the schools that were involved in the Go Green Environmental Innovation Awards have set an excellent example of what can be done to help the environment. All the participants are winners in raising the awareness of the important environmental and educational challenges that face all of us.”
Reaseheath Head of Horticulture Ian Benison added: “The College is very happy to be associated with Go Green Car and Van rental on this very worthy awards scheme and we enjoyed our involvement in helping to select the winning schools.”
The prizes were presented by the Lady Mayoress of Crewe and Nantwich, Ann Jones, and the Mayor of Congleton Borough, Mike Parsons.
Photo Captions:
Bridgemere and Ruskin School receiving their awards. |