Eco-winner urges others to try for Post prize

Now staff and pupils at Ganton Special School are urging others to follow in their footsteps by taking part in this year’s competition.

The Environment Awards, which are running for their third year, aim to recognise the efforts of businesses, individuals and community groups from across the region. The Young People’s Award, will be given to the school, college or youth group that does most to promote environmental issues among staff, students and the community.

Ganton Special School won the award last year for the way it bounced back from floods which devastated Hull in 2007.

Floodwaters had left the school unusable for up to eight months and work records, play equipment and educational resources, such as computers, were lost.

The 140 pupils – most suffering from severe learning difficulties and some with severe physical disabilities – and staff were forced to operate across four temporary sites while the school was refurbished

Ganton’s deputy head teacher Sue Jones said: “We wanted to try to make a positive out of a negative situation. So we decided to start on our Eco-Schools bid.”

Eco-Schools is an internationally-recognised award scheme through which schools are encouraged to introduce a range of environmentally-friendly and sustainable measures.

In the space of just over two years, Ganton picked up bronze, silver and gold awards for work carried out at both their temporary classrooms and their refurbished school. These included paper recycling, selling trolley tokens to buy bulbs, energy-saving poster competitions and a puppet show with an environmental message.

Now as they prepare to move to two new school buildings on the grounds of the Sirius Academy in Hull they are determined to continue their work to promote then environment.

Mrs Jones said winning last year’s Yorkshire Post Environment Award has given them “a great platform on which to build”.

She said: “I would definitely recommend entering the awards to schools. It was fantastic for us because we did not expect to win but it has made us more determined to continue the work.”

The school is now working on a drive to ensure all pupils at the school get the opportunity to ride a bike by providing adapted cycles for the children. They are also planning to create a butterfly walk along a path linking the two new buildings they will be moving into.

Anyone interested in entering the Young People’s Award should visit www.yorkshirepost.co.uk and follow the links for an online entry form and then explain why their school, college or youth group should win the prize. The closing date for entries is Friday, April 1. The Young People’s Award is one of 10 categories with prizes being awarded at a ceremony on Thursday, May 19.