WARRINGTON South MP Andy Carter has met with teachers and children at Grappenhall Heys Primary School to present certificates to young members of their “brilliant” Eco Team.
Pupils at the school recently entered a national competition and won a Gold Award for creating a hedgehog friendly campus with support from Y1 teacher Miss Corradine. The recognition follows work by children, parents and teachers, who installed feeding stations, carried out a nature survey and rescued injured animals.
Commenting on the award, Mr Carter said: “What a real pleasure to present certificates to children at Grappenhall Heys this week, the Gold Award is a very impressive achievement and highlights the enthusiasm and commitment of the whole school and its wider community towards eco-friendly practices.
“Speaking to the children it was clear to see they have a great awareness of how they can make a difference in their community to protect wildlife and support nature. I was also able to talk to the pupils about how they can play their part at home too, little things like switching lights off when leaving the room all contribute.”
Hedgehog Friendly Campus is a UK-wide university accreditation scheme funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. Teams of staff and students work to apply hedgehog-friendly actions on and around campuses right across the country. The society estimates hedgehog numbers have halved since 2000 and they are threatened with extinction.
Participating schools and universities were able to progress through bronze, silver and gold levels, with a choice of actions including completing hedgehog surveys, improving green spaces and communicating the issues.
Andy Carter MP invited the children to take part in a tree planting project later in the year to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
