Local Schools Go Wild
E Schools is an exciting new pilot project for local schools in
the Bradford district. Bradford Community Environment Project and
Bradford Environmental Education Service are working in partnership
on this groundbreaking scheme funded by Neighbourhood Renewal Fund
and administered by Bradford Vision. The project involves seven
primary schools and one secondary school, developing the school
grounds to enhance children’s learning.
Some of the innovative ideas being worked on are:- making habitat
boxes, planting fruit orchards, creating adventurous play areas,
‘green’ gyms, quiet seating areas, food growing, wildflower
meadows, butterfly and sensory herb gardens, pond and bog areas,
and developing a sculpture/nature trail.
These inventive ideas aim to support curriculum work and act as
outdoor classrooms, as well as improving the school environment.
Pupils are involved at every stage, from consultation to installing
and maintaining the areas.
Other local partners are also getting involved with E Schools. Twisting
Yarn, the Alhambra’s touring theatre group, and Crag Rats
theatre group will be delivering a programme of environmentally
themed drama workshops.
Leeds Development Education Centre are introducing ‘Global
Footprints’ a project where children calculate their personal
impact on the environment. In addition, a BMDC Environmental Education
Officer is promoting the 3 R’s - Reduce, Re-use and Recycle!
Carlton Smith, Project Manager of BCEP said: “I am delighted
that this innovative project is underway, which brings together
many organisations and agencies to improve the environment of local
schools. We have consulted with children, parents, teachers and
non-teaching staff to look at ideas and determine the priorities
for each school. The next phase will involve pupils helping to install
the new resources and take responsibility for maintaining the areas.
We look forward to the extension of this pilot project after 2006
when we hope to see similar projects in other schools across the
district.”
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Tree planting at a local school
Schools involved in the project are
Brackenhill Primary (Great Horton)
Cavendish Primary (Eccleshill)
Guard House Primary (Keighley)
Lower Fields Primary
(East Bowling)
St. Anthony’s Catholic Primary (Clayton)
St. John’s CE Primary (Bierley)
Wycliffe CE Primary (Shipley)
Rhodesway Secondary (Allerton)
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Where there's muck . . . there's brass!
The Adventurous Play Activators Programme (APAP) is an exciting
new BCEP project developed in partnership with the Early Years and
Childcare Services. It is a significant part of Bradford’s
new play strategy “All to play for” and is designed
to create adventurous play opportunities using recycled and waste
goods. It is a district-wide project for young people aged 5-18
and is free at point of use. Our present aim is to launch an exciting
programme to be delivered in schools, after school clubs and youth
groups in spring 2005.
We (Becky and Fee) are currently sourcing ‘loose parts’
that can be used for adventurous creative play,
i.e. car tyres, material, wooden pallets, shopping
trolleys etc. in all sorts of places throughout the local community,
through the local council and scrap stores. Having found the recycled
goods they are made safe, modified for use if necessary, then made
up into packs
to be loaned out to groups. Packs will vary according to requirement,
which is determined by the age, ability,
location and activity choice of each group.
Children and young people will be encouraged to access
and create play/activity opportunities with the equipment freely
according to the child-centred approach. This will encourage and
support increased confidence and levels
of self-esteem in individuals by developing co-operation, negotiation
and decision making skills.
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Children at play with recycled items
The aim is not environmental education in a formal sense, but indirect
learning that raises levels of awareness about the community and
recycling through having fun.
Our promotional material and information packs will be ready soon,
so watch this space. The first delivery will be done with a splash
as we’ll hire the horses and a cart from the Industrial Museum!
So it’s all exciting and all going on in the wonderful world
of rubbish play! |
What's new down at the compost heap!
Bradford Organics Collection Scheme (BOCS) was originally supposed
to be operational by now, but these things rarely go to plan. To
our credit we were successful in gaining planning permission for
the proposed facility at Ripley Street, unfortunately we failed
to secure the funds to buy the site. Following last summer’s
set backs the scheme has been redesigned to reduce and spread its
costs and activities,
and so mitigate some of the perceived risks that potential funders
had highlighted. |
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| A new site has been identified and with it a new
partner in the form of the Council’s Regeneration Department
who are developing a Sustainability Park at the end of Dockfield
Road, Shipley. With it comes a site development package, courtesy
of Yorkshire Forward, and the chance to lease the site. A cheaper
and simpler In-vessel composting system has been identified which
has brought considerable savings in capital outlay required.
Also, an improved collection method has been built in relying on
paper liner bags instead of compostable plastic, as this is beleived
to produce less contamination from the inclusion of non-compostable
plastic bags.
With the delay in activating BOCS has come new opportunities in
the form of: the kind assistance of Bradford University placement
Bob Hudson who is fronting the corporate funding strategy; the mentoring
assistance of Mark Elsworth from Yorkshire Building Society; a developing
partnership with Bradford University to monitor and assess the awareness
scheme; the new Waste Partnership Fund; a new round of WRAP’s
Regional Marketing Development Fund and a re-invigorated European
Regional Development Fund bid.
BOCS still needs to secure £2.4 million to implement its plans,
but we know who to ask for it and the timescales are achievable.
BOCS is a good idea waiting to happen . . .
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Sustainable Futures
The Sustainable Futures team at BCEP have been busy
developing and delivering a wide range of environmental based activities
to schools, youth and community groups across the district.
Did you visit Apple Day in Saltaire back in October? This highly
successful event was organised jointly by BCEP and BEES (Bradford
Environmental Education Services).
The Sustainable Futures team organised the childrens activities
for the day – a mixture of arts based activities, storytelling
and finding out more about apples and orchards. This is an annual
event so keep your eyes open in the Autumn if you missed it.
Sustainable Futures helps groups explore environmental issues in
a fun and participative way. Groups we are currently working with
include:
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An after school ‘Eco-Club’
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A host of curriculum based sessions to schools
across the district
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An after school art & environment club
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Sessions for a multitude of youth groups
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Sustainability teacher training sessions
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Interested in finding out more?
Contact the Sustainable Futures team on 01274 223317
or email sustainablefutures@bcep.org.uk |
Exploring Plants & People
The Plant Cultures website is finally up and running, and features
many stories from Bradford collected by Jane and Shahnaz from BCEP,
and lots of photographs taken by Mike Barrett (Frogs Design) - and
a few by Jane (BCEP). Bradford was one of the four outreach centres
(alongside Leicester, Liverpool and the Museum of London) which
provided material to the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew on how people
use the particular plants. Our local stories include a colourful
mixture of anecdotes: how one young man enjoys growing holy basil
and his consequent popularity with the neighbours; how one woman’s
mother uses henna no matter what the weather; and how growing chillies
may cause trouble in the household.
There are also more serious contributions, such as how dye plants
were used in the past, and the many uses of neem leaves as traditional
Indian remedies.
The photographs show local people growing plants,
cooking with them, selling them, and using them for
cosmetic purposes including weddings. You can search
the website in different ways: according to plant, source
of the story/photograph, what the use of the plant is.
Let us know what you think of it! You can visit the website at www.plantcultures.org.uk.
Plant Cultures (Bradford) had an exhibition in Cartwright Hall in
November, and will hold another one in the Central Library in June.
There will also soon be a Plant Cultures pack available free of
charge to Bradford Primary schools, with tips for activities/projects
etc. This will be a limited edition, made available on a first come,
first served basis. It will be launched officially at the Central
Library event.
Get in touch with Jane at BCEP if you are interested in either attending
the launch or getting hold of an education pack. The project was
funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.’
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Some of the Plant Cultures team at the London launch of the website
in Fefruary 2005
Clockwise from top left:
Jane Robinson (BCEP)
Mike Barrett (photographer)
Mark Nesbitt (RBG Kew)
Paul Bason (Dept of Culture
Media and Sport)
Kerry Rowe (RBG Kew)
Jan Smithies (Spice! Project)
Nurjahan Ali Arobi
(contributor to website) |
Community Urban Design supports 29
NAP's
The Urban Design Team has become heavily involved in supporting
community groups involved with the Clean, Green, Safe Neighbourhoods
grants from Bradford Vision’s Environmental Partnerships.
The grants of up to £10,000 were available to improve the
environment in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in conjunction with
Neighbourhood Action Planning groups.
The team initially became involved in consultations with groups
intending to apply for the grants, assisting in developing ideas
and providing budget breakdowns for intended environmental improvements.
Following the Bradford Vision participatory budget event, in which
each group presented its scheme and all other groups voted on what
ideas should have priority, we are now fully supporting 29 of the
successful schemes. This support involves consultation to fine tune
and develop the schemes, provision of plans/visualisations and arranging
for works to be carried out.
Schemes in progress are varied and include community gardens, adventure/nature
trails, children’s play spaces, environmental street improvements
and bringing derelict land back into community use.
We also hope to assist some of the unsuccessful groups who didn’t
progress as far as the participatory event to obtain funding from
other sources and realise their projects.
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An example of one of the schemes is Pollard Park Residents Association’s
project to convert
an unused tarmac area on the estate into a community garden.
Artists impression of the completed project
Derelict land adjacent to the Surestart Creche on the site of Fearnville
Primary School
An artists impression of how the derelict land at the Creche will
look following work done by the Urban Design team
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