At the Ashden Sustainable School Awards on 21 October, a further education college and three primary schools were announced as the winners of the prestigious green energy awards.
North Warwickshire and Hinckley College in Nuneaton, Home Farm Primary School in Colchester, Marton Primary School in Lincolnshire, Thornhill Primary School in Cardiff each received a prize of £3,000 at the ceremony held at LSO St Luke’s in London. The Awards Ceremony was hosted by television news presenter Lisa Aziz.
To win an Award, schools need to demonstrate real achievements in making buildings and grounds more sustainable, and integrating sustainability into the school’s culture and curriculum. Involving pupils and students is key.
North Warwickshire and Hinckley College, whose students are young people aged between 14 and 19 and adults, is the first further education college to win an Ashden Award and its holistic approach to sustainability has seen it reduce carbon emissions by more than a third in the past five years. In an establishment that covers several different locations and has more than 14,000 students, the energy efficiency measures put in place – such as improved insulation, better boilers, and the introduction of LED lighting and sensor controls - are resulting in major savings to both the college budget and the environment.
Now in their 15th year, the Ashden Awards champion practical, local energy solutions that cut carbon, reduce poverty and improve people’s lives in the UK and developing countries. This is the first year that the School Awards have been celebrated in a separate ceremony which also highlighted the achievements of schools participating in Ashden’s LESS CO2 programme.
