npower has announced the winning schools of the Climate Cops Green SOS competition with a class of school pupils who petitioned their local shops to ban all plastic bags emerging as the winners of the national competition, scooping £20,000 for its school to invest in eco projects.
Hellesdon High School in Norwich beat hundreds of schools to win the npower Climate Cops Green SOS at a ceremony held at the Science Museum, London. The project impressed the panel of judges, including award ceremony presenter Fearne Cotton as well as Piers Morgan and eco activist Eugenie Harvey. The panel were impressed with the way the intrepid youngsters lobbied local shopkeepers to ban bags, with 23 out of 56 local stores committing to stopping the use of plastic in their stores.
Hellesdon was selected out of 10 shortlisted schools. Other top projects included runners up Penrice Community College, Cornwall, for their fight to make house numbers clearer to help the emergency services and reduce carbon emissions of delivery vans and the pupils of Gateways School in Leeds, who worked with the Women’s Institute and the world’s fastest speed knitter to make recycled fashion items.
Piers Morgan, head judge and champion of npower’s Climate Cops campaign, said: “I’ve been impressed by the dedication to green issues demonstrated by each of the shortlisted schools. Their determination to mobilise their schoolmates, families and local communities is just the sort of green campaigning we need to make a difference to climate change.”
Fearne Cotton, who met the children, all aged 11-13years, added: “These projects are proof that if we all pull together we can make a difference to the environment around us. It’s the little things that count and I urge us all to think green! We’re hoping that Hellesdon’s success will inspire plenty more school years get involved with Green SOS 2009.”
Npower’s Climate Cops programme is part of the five year Brighter Futures initiative, designed to motivate eco-aware students to turn their passion for the environment into positive action.
Students inspired by Hellesdon’s success can put themselves forward to take part in Green SOS 2009. Shortlisted schools will be given the training and skills needed to make their green mission fly, from selecting a cause, project management, team work and using the media. In
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