Liverpool Schools Parliament go green for Eco Week

Turning crisp packets into blankets for homeless people is among the sustainable activities being carried out by hundreds of school children across Liverpool during next week’s Eco Week.

Running from Monday 19 May, Eco Week is a dedicated week for schools to consider current environmental issues and how to tackle them.

It was created after Liverpool Schools Parliament (LSP) voted to make the environment their top topic of the year in February.

The LSP is a group of young people, aged between seven and 19, who represent their school councils and meet regularly to discuss local issues and feed back their thoughts and recommendations to staff at Liverpool City Council.

Eco Week is a collaborative effort between the Council, LSP, and 17 schools spanning across the city.

The focus on environmental concerns forms part of the Council’s commitment to reaching Net Zero. In 2019, it declared a climate emergency, leading to the creation of the Net Zero Action Plan.

Since then, the Council has taken steps to reduce carbon emissions across Liverpool, including using the Mersey to heat homes, supporting active travel methods, and switching to energy-efficient methods across highways projects.

As well as looking at saving energy, many of the projects taking place during Eco Week are focusing on reuse and recycling, and the small changes people can make at home to have a big impact.

Pupils will be looking at what can and can’t be recycled in Liverpool, and how to make art or accessories out of old materials rather than throwing them away.

Anyone looking to get involved at home can find out what should be placed in their purple and blue bins on the Council website and how to reduce the amount of rubbish they produce through handy tips by the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority.

The full list of schools taking part is:

• St Francis De Sales Catholic Infant and Nursery School, Walton
• Monksdown Primary School, Norris Green
• St Michaels Catholic Primary School, Kensington
• Hunts Cross Primary
• Whitefield Primary School, Everton
• Pinehurst Primary School, Anfield
• Garston Church of England Primary
• Emmaus CofE and Catholic Primary School, Croxteth
• St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School
• Kirkdale St Lawrence CofE School
• Holy Name Catholic Primary School, Fazakerley
• St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, Toxteth
• Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School, Aintree
• Our Lady and St Swithin’s Catholic Primary School, Croxteth
• St Oswalds Catholic Primary School, Old Swan
• Lister Infant School, Tuebrook
• Wavertree Church of England School

Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene said:

“Reducing the negative impact we have on the environment and looking after the communities we live in are both incredibly important topics.

“Liverpool is a fantastic city that we can be proud to call home, and we need to be listening to our young people to see how we can protect it for years to come.

“Our ambition is to make Liverpool a UNICEF Child Friendly City, which means taking feedback from young people and working to tackle the issues they face as they grow up.

“The environment is clearly a topic close to home for our Liverpool Schools Parliament. We’ve listened to their concerns and worked closely alongside them to create Eco Week, which has had a great take-up by schools across the city.

“LSP has suggested a range of engaging activities, and our local primary schools have responded with creativity and enthusiasm. These are the kinds of activities and messages that will stick with our young people for a long time and make a hugely positive change to our city.”

Karen Lane, a teacher at Holy Name Catholic Primary School said:

“As citizens of the future, it is important that children are taught about how all of our actions have an impact on the world around us.

“Engendering a respect of the world we live in, learning how to behave responsibly and making the right choices, all helps to empower children to believe they can influence the future of our planet.

“Hopefully this will inspire them to believe that they really can make a difference by living in a more sustainable way.”

Abigail, a member of Holy Name’s Eco Committee said:

“It is important to try and make the world a better place. By being a member of the Eco Committee, I can share ideas to help other people to be eco-friendly.”

If you would like to speak to any schools, or cover any activities taking place during the week, please contact me in the first instance.

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