Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, visited Cherry Burton Primary School to go litter-picking in recognition of this year’s ‘the Great British Spring Clean’, established by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. This national event encourages social groups and organisations of all sizes to get stuck in and do their bit to help remove the scourge of litter that plagues our vibrant countryside and town centres, by going on a litter-pick.
Graham was joined by Beverley Rural Councillors, Pauline Greenwood, Kevin Beaumont and Bernard Gateshill on an outdoor litter pick of the school grounds and the village park with year 6 pupils.
The visit was hosted by Headteacher Mrs Joy and UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador, Miss Natalie Redpath. Miss Redpath’s role is to expand students’ and teachers’ understanding of the role and structure of Parliament, bringing them closer to national decision makers and local government.
Natalie Redpath commented, "In my role, as Parliament Ambassador in school, I aim to develop an understanding in our young learners and school community of the importance of our Parliamentary system and how, through elected representatives, it helps to bring real change to our everyday lives. Therefore, it was a great opportunity for the children to meet their local MP and councillors. This was made even more poignant as we were raising awareness about a topic that the children feel very passionate about – environmental issues, such as littering, will no doubt be of great significance to them in the future."
As a participant in Keep Britain Tidy’s ‘Eco- Schools’ project, Graham praises the School’s commitment to place environmental education and action at the heart of their curriculum and extra-curricular activities. At present, Cherry Burton Primary School has drafted an environmental action plan and has established an Eco-Committee of enthusiastic pupils to improve the school’s sustainability in their bid to achieve an Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation.
Cllr Pauline Greenwood commented, ‘What a great afternoon. It was an absolute pleasure to join all the pupils and staff of Cherry Burton Primary School in this litter-picking event, which seemed to be enjoyed by all who took part.
‘We were pleased to have been accompanied by our local MP Graham Stuart. It was great to see the young boys and girls captivated by Graham’s enthusiasm as he explained why it is so important for all of us in this country to pick up litter and dispose of our rubbish. I think the Great British Spring Clean event has taught the pupils a great deal about keeping where we live clean, tidy and healthy.
Later in the afternoon, pupils were joined by local Reverend, Ricard Parkinson, for the burial of their Time capsule ‘Apollo’. This was engraved for posterity in recognition of this census year. It was duly buried in the grounds of the playing field and to a prayer that was read by the vicar.
Finally, Graham took part in planting a tree to commemorate this special occasion for the children and for future generations of the school to look back at their achievements.
Graham commented, “The level of enthusiasm and eagerness to learn I found during my visit to Cherry Burton Primary School was delightful. It was really encouraging to see so many of the School’s pupils keen to get outdoors and do their bit for the preservation of local green spaces around the village. I am pleased to have been accompanied by all three of the Ward councillors, who have helped me greatly in highlighting the importance of environmental education.
“What I’ve taken away from this visit is that serving the community in this way more regularly is not only beneficial for our environment, but also has a noticeably positive impact on the mental and physical health of our children.
“I am pleased to hear the school has embedded environmental awareness at the core of their learning ethos, creating active and community minded ‘litter heroes’ for the future. I’d encourage as many schools as possible to get involved in the Great British Spring Clean and the Eco-Schools project to show just how green you can possible be. The online downloadable resources available at Keep Britain Tidy’s website make it easy to help pupils become more litter aware, so check it out now.”
