St Mary's Primary Student Triumphs In School Pollution Quest
Libbie Turnbull won £100 for school to spend on new air quality improvement projects
Cllr Cook with Libbie Turnbull and Louis Bridgeman at St Mary’s CE School
Libbie Turnbull from St Mary’s CE Primary has claimed first prize in the council’s anti-pollution poster competition, winning £100 for her school to spend on new air quality improvement projects.
Wandsworth Council’s environment spokesperson Cllr Jonathan Cook visited the school to congratulate the creative youngster and to present pupils with giant banners showing dozens of shortlisted entries to the poster competition.
The project is part of the council’s wide-ranging air quality improvement programme and aims to increase awareness among children and parents of changes they can make to reduce air pollution, and inspire them to adopt more sustainable means of transport such as walking, cycling and taking quieter routes.
As a part of the scheme, pupils designed a poster about air quality and were given the chance to experience an interactive theatre show called ‘The Pollution Solution’ which teaches valuable lessons about polluting behaviour.
Parents were engaged through summer fetes, parents evening, PTA meetings, focus groups and through school newsletters and websites.
Environment spokesperson Cllr Jonathan Cook, congratulated Libbie and said: “Raising awareness and empowering people to make positive changes is a key part of the council’s work on air pollution, among a range of other measures such as installing more electric car charging points, lobbying for a ban on diesel buses in congested corridors, and investing in the borough’s cycle network.
“We are proud to have been awarded Cleaner Borough Status by the Mayor for our work on Air Quality in November of last year, and are committed to continuing to improve air quality in Wandsworth.”
February 3, 2017