GREEN-THINKING Solihull schools were celebrated at the annual Greener Solihull School Awards.
The awards celebrate pupils and staff who have shown exceptional commitment to sustainability and environmental conservation.
They were presented at the Solihull Sustainable Schools Conference, which included a range of speakers from Councillor Andy Mackiewicz to representatives from the West Midlands Combined Authority and Severn Trent.
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.
Students were praised for a range of initiatives including litter picking, involvement in the borough’s fair trade art trail and recycling schemes.
The awards were broken down into different categories which covered pupil led initiatives, linking in with wider environmental campaigns and embedding sustainability into the curriculum.
In addition to the certificates, several winners also received handmade wooden plaques from Newlands Bishops Farm, a centre for work-based learning for people with learning disabilities in Solihull where there is a woodworking unit where project workers can practise their carpentry skills.
Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, cabinet portfolio holder for Climate Change, Planning and Housing, said: “With over 40 school representatives attending, it’s our biggest Sustainable Schools Conference yet.
“Such high levels of attendance and engagement are testament to how important sustainability best practice is for schools.
“The eco-teams deserve enormous credit for their contributions and awareness raising.
“I’d also like to thank the businesses who kindly supported the Greener Solihull School Awards.
“As a council our influence only extends so far, with council operations making up approximately just one per cent of the borough’s emissions.
“That’s why it’s so encouraging to see collaboration between local businesses and tomorrow’s generation in tackling climate change and bringing about meaningful sustainable behavioural change.”
