Solihull's schools pave the way to a greener future
Various schools across Solihull have been recognised for their outstanding commitment to sustainable and greener practices through this year's Greener Solihull Awards.
The Greener Solihull Awards formed part of the Sustainable Schools Conference, which this year had a strong focus on the journey to 'net zero '.
Open to all schools in the borough, the awards challenge pupils and teachers to learn more about the environment both locally and globally and strive to make their school more eco-friendly.
Presented by local business champions, including Fieldfisher, Birmingham Airport, Oxbridge, Birmingham Business Park, Prologis, Birmingham Energy Initiative, Telephone Europe, Solihull Chamber and Touchwood, the awards help to develop a sense of pride in each school 's sustainability activities.
As sponsors of this year's awards, Solihull Chamber of Commerce was responsible for presenting the Solihull Chamber prize to a school who has shown true dedication to being more sustainable and environmentally conscious.
Winners of the prize were Balsall Common Primary School, who were given £100 which they used on school council badges and recyclable seeds and boxes.
Samantha Frampton, head of Solihull Chamber said: "Balsall Common Primary school are very worthy winners of the Solihull Chamber prize and it has been wonderful and heart-warming to read about all the hard work and commitment that Balsall Common Primary school have put into achieving all 3 levels of the awards.
“It is inspiring to see the way the school have come together to tackle food waste and playground litter, and the actions they have taken through their save the water campaign and Global Goals week to spread awareness.
“I especially loved reading about the schools Eco-Ambassadors and how they were recruited to represent their class and be part of the greener school journey. It is an important role to take on, and the efforts of the school and their ambassadors are an encouraging sign of how small changes can have a positive impact. ”
The full list of schools that received awards is as follows:
- Blossomfield Infant School
- St Patricks C of E Primary School
- Monkspath Junior & Infant School
- Coleshill Heath School
- Sharman 's Cross Junior School
- Merstone School
- St Anne 's Catholic Primary School
- Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Primary School
- Solihull College
- Balsall Common Primary School
The award winners this year showcased the incredible breadth of climate action taking place in Solihull schools, such as litter picking initiatives, campaigns to reduce the amount of food waste in school canteens and even how a group of pupils created bee hotels to improve biodiversity.
Sarah Lardner, sustainability engagement officer at Solihull Council said: “The conference is a wonderfully collaborative event, with businesses, council officers and various organisations all contributing. I 'd like to extend my thanks to all of the business champions for their motivational feedback and to the dedicated teachers who shared their fabulous best practice. It was especially lovely to hear about the generous rewards the schools have received from businesses. ”
As part of the wider conference, school staff also heard from Council officers on the crucial role schools have to play in Solihull 's Net Zero Action plan, which was formally adopted at cabinet during COP26.
Councillor Ken Meeson, Mayor of Solihull, said: “It 's wonderful to see just how serious our schools are about taking on the climate change emergency. From embedding sustainable development goals into the curriculum to encouraging children to walk, cycle or scoot to school, eco-leaders across the borough are doing a fantastic job. Their hard work combined with the enthusiasm of the children to reduce their carbon footprint, makes me feel confident that the future of our climate is in good hands ”.
“Learning about the importance of looking after our environment doesn 't have to stop at the classroom door. It was brilliant to hear how pupils are bringing their eco-behaviours home with them and challenging their parents to live more sustainably. Congratulations to all of the schools who took part in this fantastic event. ”
Councillor Ian Courts, leader of Solihull Council, said: “It 's so important to recognise and celebrate the amazing eco-initiatives taking place in so many schools across Solihull. Teaching children about the importance of eco-responsibility, for example reducing single use plastics is invaluable. However, it 's certainly not a one-way street as we often hear brilliant ideas from students of all ages that could be utilised by wider society.
“On behalf of Solihull Council, I want to congratulate all of the award winners in 2021. Behind each and every award there are so many pupils, parents, and school staff who deserve enormous credit for their efforts. I 'd also like to thank the wide range of businesses, organisations and Council officers for their dedication to making the awards so successful and ensuring a memorable event for all involved. Each year I continue to be inspired by the passion of future generations to make a real difference in the fight against climate change. ”
Pictured: Tony Elvin, general manager at Touchwood and president of Solihull Chamber with award winners from Monkspath Junior & Infant School.