Going Green

St Ives School can rightfully claim to be the Greenest school in Cornwall, after winning the Eco Design Challenge 2010, organised by Designs of the Time Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The competition challenged schools to reduce their carbon footprint, and the St Ives pupils bagged the award for their plan to Green up their run-down 1970s art block using photovoltaic panels, natural light and the involvement of the whole community.

The winning team of Calum Parson, Bridget Allen, Billy Goulden, Alastair Manley and Daniel Hopkinson presented in a Dragon’s Den-style pitch to a judging panel comprising eco-campaigner Dick Strawbridge, Benedict Arora from Nesta, Lesley Morris from the Design Council, Matt Barton from Cornwall Council, and Dott’s Andrea Siodmok.

The winning team was awarded £6700 to go towards turning its project into reality.

The other shortlisted schools, which divvied up a total prize pot of £20 000, were Bodmin College, Budehaven Community School, Sir James Smith’s Community College in Camelford, Penrice Community College in St Austell and Wadebridge School.

Wadebridge picked up a cash prize of £4000 for its plans to get people out of cars and on to their bikes. The school will be buying secure bike lockers and racks and also has ambitions to create a zero-impact week across the UK and a website for finding the safest cycle route to school.

Sir James Smith won £2000 for a campaign to encourage recycling drink cans, called I Can, You Can, We Can!

Bodmin, Budehaven and Penrice picked up £400 each. Bodmin devised a wrist-mounted dynamo that can be used during PE sessions to power up AA batteries, Budehaven came up with system of brightly coloured recycling bins featuring netball hoops to throw rubbish through, and Penrice propsed a café built from sustainable, local materials.