National acclaim for Eco Schools
The pioneering work of Warwickshire’s schools in becoming increasingly environmentally friendly has clinched the county council a national award.
Warwickshire’s Eco Schools programme has won the international `Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice 2006.
The award will be presented at a glittering prize giving ceremony at the Tower of London on Friday, November 3.
The Green Apple Environmental Awards are an annual international campaign to recognise, reward and promote environmental best practice around the world.
Warwickshire has won the Environmental Best Practice Award for Eco Schools, which got underway in November 2004, and now involves more than 100 schools across Warwickshire.
The aim of Eco Schools in Warwickshire is to make the county’s schools exemplars of sustainable development, and to use the Eco Schools programme as a vehicle to implement education for sustainable development into Warwickshire schools.
Eco Schools won the award for its work in many areas, including developing partnerships between state and independent schools and supporting the implementation of county council strategies, including the Warwickshire Climate Change Strategy.
Warwickshire is also the only county in England to receive £10,000 from Encams for its Eco Schools programme.
Additionally, an event was held recently recognising the best performing Eco Schools in the county, and an Eco Schools National Conference was held last year at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon.
Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “Eco Schools has been nothing short of pioneering in its work. It may sound a cliché, but the children really are our future, and across Warwickshire there are schools adopting projects and initiatives to become more sustainable.”