Another five Surrey primary schools have been awarded a total of £3,000 as part of the Rethink Waste scheme, Surrey Environment Partnership’s (SEP) initiative aimed at encouraging Surrey residents to reduce what they waste. This is in addition to the £15,500 that has previously been awarded to Surrey schools.
The prize money will fund various environmental projects at the winning schools, including installing a polytunnel as part of a school allotment, buying a new set of bins to encourage recycling, creating a sensory garden, reclaiming an overgrown outside area and setting up an outdoor classroom.
Earlier this year, 15 schools across Surrey joined the scheme, which allowed over 12,000 Rethink Waste members to donate points to them that they earned by participating in waste reduction activities. The schools with the highest number of donated points were awarded cash prizes to invest in environmental improvements. The winning schools and their projects were:
- The Grange Community Infant School, New Haw – create a sensory garden.
- Wray Common Primary School, Reigate – set up an outdoor classroom.
- West Byfleet Junior School – reclaim a disused former vegetable garden.
- Ashley Church of England Primary School, Walton-on-Thames – install a polytunnel.
- Esher Church School – buy new recycling bins.
Jacob Larby, a teacher at The Grange Community Infant School (pictured in attached image), which won the top prize of £1,000, said:
“We knew that being a smaller school would mean we would need to work really hard at promoting our wonderful eco-project (a sensory garden). So, everyone was on board, the children; staff; parents; carers and the list goes on. It was at this moment when I realised… we might be a small school, but we have a big community!
Many people worked together to donate points towards The Grange’s eco-project and some of us stayed up late into the night to watch and celebrate the tremendous achievement of the school winning the competition. Now, we are looking forward to spending the prize money on creating a sensory garden where the children can enjoy a safe space as they explore it with their different senses.”
Cllr Marisa Heath, Chair of SEP, commented: “It’s heartening to see that so many Surrey primary schools are taking part in Rethink Waste and are being funded to deliver some delightful projects that will benefit the environment and improve their pupils’ experience. With over 12,000 households in Surrey taking part, this is a programme that the whole county is getting behind. The teachers who are helping drive this forward are doing fantastic work engaging our young people.”
A further school donation scheme is currently open to Rethink Waste members with 31 schools across the county taking part. Residents can help their local school win funding by signing up to Rethink Waste online or downloading the Rethink Waste app. Interested primary schools can apply to take part by emailing school.donations@greenredeem.co.uk.