National grant funding for Eco Schools Programme
Warwickshire is the only county in England to have been awarded £10,000 to help schools achieve the prestigious Green Flag, the top award available.
The funding has been awarded by ENCAMS, which run the national Eco Schools programme, and has been given because of the impressive achievements in the last year, and also because of the commitment by Warwickshire County Council to the programme.
The funders were also greatly impressed by the amount of top level backing for the programme by the county council which was demonstrated at the Eco Schools Event last October at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon.
Councillor Martin Heatley, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said: “During the past year the Eco Schools programme has gone from strength to strength, and there are now 34% of all Warwickshire schools taking part, and over 30% of these have now received either bronze or silver awards which is a tremendous achievement for everyone involved, and a credit to all their hard work.
“This means that schools are now significantly reducing their environmental impacts and will continue to do so in the future. They will also be reducing their energy and water bills, and saving on the amount they spend on waste collections.
“I would like to encourage any schools, which are not already part of the Eco Schools programme to sign up. This will not only enable them to help protect the environment but also to make financial savings.”
Councillor John Burton Portfolio Holder for Schools said: “We are delighted Eco Schools is being used to implement ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ into the curriculum in Warwickshire schools. This means environmental education and actions will be embedded into the ethos of the school. Furthermore, students and teachers will be given the knowledge and the tools to make informed decisions about their schools environment, which will help provide sustainable schools for the future.”
Warwickshire Eco Schools will shortly be receiving details of how to apply for the grant funding.
To register for the Eco Schools programme please go to:
http://www.eco-schools.org.uk, where it is possible to sign up online.
For more information about the programme please contact Barbara Golding, Eco Schools Officer, Tel: 01926 418065 or go to: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/ecoschools