Dermot O'Leary's eco prize for green youngsters

Twenty youngsters running an eco-friendly company received a specially commissioned trophy and a £1,000 cheque for their school from TV favourite Dermot O'Leary.
Pupils project wins regional award and £1,000 for Turners Hill schoolPupils project wins regional award and £1,000 for Turners Hill school
Pupils project wins regional award and £1,000 for Turners Hill school

The pupils’ enterprise saw Turners Hill CE Primary School named Total Green School Awards Regional Champion at an awards event in London Zoo on Thursday (June 16). They were thrilled as they were presented with the regional award for their school.

Year 3 pupils had planted woodland for their school project ‘Coppicing for the Community’ seven years ago. Youngsters wanted to supply wood for a biomass boiler to be installed at the school in Church Road but due to a lack of budget instead formed Turners Hill Coppicing Company which sells coppiced wood to the community.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Headteacher Ben Turney said his school was delighted at the result after nearly 34,000 schoolchildren aged five to 11 entered the competition.

Mr Turney said: “We have had a long history of participating in the compeition and are thrilled that as our work on sustainability evolves the children are able to enjoy the fun and challenge of entering such a brilliant competition.

“The children have thoroughly enjoyed learning about coppicing setting up thier own company related to this less well-known countryside skill. By broadening the children’s understanding of the enviroment and how it can be cared for we aim to supports the schoo’s motto of developing ‘stewards of the Earth’.”

TV presenter Dermot O’Leary is president of Young People’s Trust for the Environment (YPTE), which runs the competition with oil and gas company Total. YPTE director, Peter Littlewood, said the Turners Hill project covered a wide area of the Curriculum and added: “Being able to form their own company, design their logo and their products, learn new forestry and craft skills and do the maths to work out their work has benefited the environment and the community too. It’s brilliant!”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

English Martyrs’ Catholic Voluntary Academy, Long Eaton, Derbyshire, was this year’s national winner.

* Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage

2) Like our Facebook page

3) Follow us on Twitter

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

Always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.