Representatives from ten primary schools gathered at the Braintree District Cultural Education Partnership’s (BDCEP) second annual Schools Eco Event at I-Construct in Braintree.
Schoolchildren were there to pitch their green project ideas to a panel. The schools were competing for grants of £100 each to help start, extend or sustain projects including a food waste composter, bee and bird friendly planting and a sensory garden.
Each group gave a presentation on their projects, giving the children the opportunity to practise their public speaking, presentation and persuasion skills. The panel was made up of Tracey Parry, Braintree District Council’s Community Services Manager, Lesley Gamblin, a Trustee of the John Ray Trust, Deborah Bailey from Braintree District Cultural Education Partnership and Joyce Wells from the Braintree Beekeepers Association. After hearing the children’s bids, the panel awarded each group £100, which was then generously supplemented with an additional gift of £50 from the John Ray Trust.
The children also heard speeches by Councillor Diana Garrod, then in her capacity as Braintree District Chairman, and Archie Ruggles-Brice of Spains Hall Estate on his success in reintroducing beavers for natural flood attenuation. The Braintree Beekeepers Association captured the children’s attention with a beehive featuring a glass observation panel, allowing them to watch baby bees hatch and identify the queen. They also brought a wormery so the children could learn about composting processes.
Councillor Diana Garrod, Lead Member for Climate Change and Sustainability, said: “It was wonderful to see how passionate our young people are about nature and their environment. I was so impressed by the range of projects presented and am delighted that the Cultural Education Partnership were able to support all the schools by awarding this funding. Not only will this benefit nature, it will also help to teach children for years to come about the importance of looking after our planet. Special thanks to the John Ray Trust for their generous donation, which the children were extremely grateful for.”
Judith Harvey of the Braintree District Cultural Education Partnership said: “The quality of the children’s work was outstanding today. As a partnership, we are proud to be able to support such creative and well thought-out projects, which are a credit to the children and their teachers. We look forward to seeing the results of these ventures, which will not only deliver a range of learning opportunities but also real results for wildlife.”