ECO Club Organise Community Table Top Sale

Our Eco Club had a lightbulb moment – as their current campaign is ‘Turn the Lights off.’

The Eco Club is run by Science teacher Mrs Massey and is every Friday lunchtime in SC1. Their activities fit the school’s mission: “To be a school that cares about the local and wider environment and takes action to improve it.”

The Eco Club, running for three years, has taken part in various campaigns inside and outside of school and worked in collaboration with South Ribble Borough Council on a community gardening project recently.

They have put recycling boxes in every classroom, encouraged the use of recycling bins around school, set up battery collection points and are trying to limit the amount of paper used as well as encourage reusable drink bottles in school.

Mrs Massey said: “The natural world is a hot topic and we want to educate pupils about what they can do to help the environment and also about future careers in the green industry.

“It’s about respecting where we live and also having pride in our community and school.

“We have separate wastepaper bins in classrooms now, places for dropping off used batteries, and our current campaign is ‘Turn the Lights off’

“One of our members Agnes has designed a poster and, while some of our lights in school are on sensors, some still require a switch and it’s to encourage pupils to switch off lights when they are not needed so we are not wasting electricity.”

A big event they are currently working on is a tabletop sale to raise funds for Derian House, with the idea coming from Isaac in Year 10.

Mrs Massey said: “It’s on Saturday, 9th November in the Sports Hall from 1.30-3.30pm. We will have a variety of stalls of nearly new or second-hand items, handmade crafts and homemade refreshments.

“It’s designed to encourage recycling and not just throw things away which can be used again. It’s to get pupils thinking about the environment while also raising money for charity."

One member of the Eco Club Year 7, Autumn said: “I took part in an Eco Club at primary school and I wanted to carry it on as I want to help the environment.”

Poster designer Agnes, in Year 11, said: “I love recycling, putting all the different items like cardboard and plastic into different boxes. I also like recycling artwork – I entered a national competition with it.”

The Eco Club is looking for more recruits to come up with more environmentally-friendly ideas and to help implement everything they can to make Priory even greener.

See poster below for details of Eco Club's event.