Youngsters go green for school

Youngsters from a Fallowfield school helped turn their grounds into a wildlife haven which can be enjoyed by pupils in the future, with help from Manchester City Council.

Pupils from St Kentigern's Primary spent a day clearing a wooded area of the grounds and building bug hotels and bird boxes to encourage biodiversity at the Bethnall Drive school on Friday June 12

With help from the City Council's environmental campaign team, they also cleared an area of grass on the playing field, creating an attractive wildflower meadow which other pupils will be able to enjoy in future summers.

Meanwhile, other children at the school took part in activities such as making a 3D model using only recyclable materials and organising a litter survey to cut down on rubbish being dropped around the school site, while younger pupils held a nature treasure hunt.

The events were taking place as part of a fortnight-long series events organised around the Green Day campaign, organised by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE).

Green Day is a series of one-day events taking place in eight cities around the UK in which youngsters are encouraged to think about climate change and the environment.

A total of 30 schools across the city are holding Green Day events, including St Ambrose RC in Chorlton, who will block the use of electricity for an hour, St Augustine's CE in Harpurhey, where children will begin digging a vegetable patch, and St Dunstan's CE in Moston, where children will make up a rap about recycling.

The events were also being held as part of the year-long Proud Of Manchester campaign, which celebrates life in the city's neighbourhoods and encourages communities to build a bright future for the next generation.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for the Environment, said: "Events like the day we held at St Kentigern's, and other schools across the city, are wonderful ways of showing youngsters how caring for the environment can be fun.

"These Green Day events are also great ways of encouraging them to take pride in their neighbourhoods."