Laira Green has always had strong links with St Mary's Church. We wanted to make the gardens more accessible for the community and for the school children. We planned for a 'Forest school' type area where the children could sit and read, have marshmallows around a fire and so on. This could then be used in conjunction with the church for various events.
However, the initial problem was dog faeces! We talked about our community and how we need to be responsible for our surroundings and how we need to look after them. We also discussed the dangers of dog faeces and the importance of disposing of it safely. The children then produced their own posters which are displayed on the church gates.
We have also recently joined the Eco-Schools programme which empowers pupils, raises environmental awareness, improves the school environment and can even create financial savings for schools. One of the first tasks was to select representatives who would be responsible for turning up to meetings, excited about helping our school to help the environment and able to work as a team to share ideas and develop our project.
The first task for these Eco-Warrior has been working alongside the YOT (Youth Offending Team) to help with a litter pick of the church gardens and move the wood chips from the front to the back of the church. It was a much more difficult and tiring job then any of them had imagined! Many thanks go to Mike Vosper (YOT Officer) for all that he has done to complete this project.
