Cover story
Green
resources n The Linnean Society of London offers Local Nature Grants of up to £1,000 to provide young people with an opportunity to take the lead on projects that involve local nature and natural spaces. The next application deadline is October and typical projects include running a school festival about nature, building a community garden and creating a nature walk.
linnean.org n The Ovo Foundation Nature Prize offers ten prizes of £1,000 and 15 prizes of £200 for schools that increase pupils’ access to nature, as well as boosting biodiversity in school grounds. The competition has a one-month window for entries in the autumn of 2024.
ovofoundation.org.uk n The Woodland Trust offers hundreds of thousands of trees to schools, with two application windows for tree pack delivery each year.
woodlandtrust.org.uk n The British Bee Charity offers ongoing grants for beekeeping equipment and resources as part of the Bees4Schools initiative.
britishbeecharity.com n See also our Grants for Schools on page 37 and the FundEd grants database.
Encouraging children to carry a
reusable bottle, and making it easy to refill, can have a big impact
TACKLING PLASTIC
WASTE In the last 15 years, consumption of bottled water has doubled. Along with other soft drinks, this means 13 billion plastic bottles are now used in the UK every year. Despite recycling efforts, plastic bottles make up one third of all plastic pollution in the sea, and there are now more than 159 plastic bottles for every mile of beach in the UK. The DfE has committed to
eradicating single use plastics by 2025. Encouraging children to carry a
reusable bottle, and making it easy for them to refill by providing drinking water fountains, can have a big impact.
Funding your water fountain: n The Drinking Fountain Association provides grants for fountains for
schools once they pay a £50 membership fee.
drinkingfountains.org n Look out for local grants n Ask local businesses if they will sponsor your fountain n Run a crowdfunding campaign or fundraising event.
CUT WATER
WASTAGE In the DfE’s Buying for Schools blog, Laura Walton (water efficiency education and awareness lead) noted that by 2050 there could be water shortages across the UK because we do not have the infrastructure to store water from the wetter winters to support the drier summers. She argues that using water more efficiently now will embed behaviours that will reduce waste and bills. Research from the NGO Waterwise suggests that up to 3,100 litres of water can be saved every day in
every school. A leaky toilet can cost £100 per year and a small 3mm diameter stream from one running cold tap can waste 330,000 litres per year. Stopping this could mean an annual saving of £580. Addressing water use involves a
long-term commitment, combined with quick wins. So make sure your water meters are being read and encourage staff to highlight any issues with your caretaking team, sharing the information on cost- saving benefits. Look at the opportunities for rainwater harvesting and water butts. Appoint someone to champion water efficiency in your school. Hold a water assembly with your pupils and involve them in raising awareness by writing about the topic.
FundEd SPRING 2024 13
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