As the ECHO Environment Awards 2021 near, it is time to take a look back at the achievements of the 2021 winners.
The Environment Awards recognize Merseyside residents who have made climate protection a priority. They can be given to individuals, schools, businesses, or community projects. Last year’s environmental champions were busy organizing events such as protests and climate change festivals.
Nominations for this year’s awards were closed May 11. The awards ceremony will be held at the Isla Gladstone Conservatory, Liverpool on June 1.
READ MORE“We were thrilled to win an Echo Environment Award.”
Here’s how the winners from last year have continued to work towards making Liverpool and its environs a more sustainable city.
Rimrose Valley Friends CIO – Winners of the Healthy Living Award
Friends of Rimrose Valley was established by a resident to make the most of the valley’s green space. It won the Healthy Living Award last year for helping people improve their health.
Friends have been focusing on their CampaignTo preserve the peaceful environment in the valley. National Highways proposed building a road through this valley from Switch Island to Port of Liverpool.
In August, they held a massive demonstration that attracted almost 1,000 people. This included a rally in support of the parkland as well as a march to the ports gate. They closed roads and are working with environmentalists and politicians to stop the proposal.
Despite this, they still manage to organize green wellbeing events for their community. They also hosted free forest school sessions, which included woodland crafts as well as toasting marshmallows.
They also offer free active outdoor programs for families, with the option of coached soccer or a walk around the park. People had many options as they could choose from pop-up yoga events or litter picks. There were also nature walks that included identifying species of mushrooms around the park, one in the fall.
St. Julies High School is the Green School of the Year Winner
The Green School of the Year award is given to schools in Merseyside that take an active role in sustainability and healthy living. The award was presented to St Julies High School, Woolton, last year for its global citizenship curriculum for year nine students. It highlighted the history of climate change since the industrial revolution.
Lee-Ann Gawley is the global citizenship programme’s lead teacher. She said: We have been busy continuing our environmental studies this school year. It is something we take great pride in at school and we are very lucky to have beautiful grounds in suburbs to facilitate all this.
The school will host another climate change festival this year in July. Meanwhile, students continue to benefit from the global citizenship programme.
The school is also working to reduce single-use disposable plastic. They have created a reusable water container for students in year 9 and installed water fountains at each floor so that they can be refilled.
St Julies is using its grounds to foster wildlife. They planted 30 silverbirch trees to provide shelter for insects, 12 crabapple plants to provide flower blossoms for them, 10 oak trees to create habitats for insects, and 30 scots pine or yew hedges to provide nesting sites.
This is a great opportunity for pupils to make the most of it by joining the wellbeing gardening club at lunchtimes. They plant shrubs and plan to create a bug hotel to increase the school’s biodiversity. The new hedgerows are attractive to ladybirds.
Climate change ambassadors contribute articles to the weekly parents bulletin. In June or July, the school organizes a trip to the Lake District.
ReStore St Helens was awarded the Green Business of the Year award
ReStore in StHelens aims at reducing resource poverty in the community. The Green Business of the Year Award is given to a company that puts the environment at the center of its work.
Julie Waring, project manager, stated that the business has flourished since winning the award and that many customers have traveled from far away to see what we do.
We have new customers and volunteers. Our Facebook page grew rapidly and we now have many loyal fans who love to see the upcycled furniture we make from furniture donations.
People are interested in reducing landfill. I believe that this is what attracts many people to donate their furniture, knowing that it will be given another chance. Our Volunteer base is made up of several people who have been involved in the project since the beginning. The quality of the furniture we upcycle is a result of the skills they have gained over the three-and-a half years we have been open.
The Pets Country Manor Ltd was awarded the Zero Waste Award
The Zero Waste Award was won last year by the Pets Country Manor Hotel, Tarbock Green’s luxury five-star hotel for cats. Since winning, the business has grown from strength to strength and introduced new services like the pawsome afternoon tea or kitty tapas.
Victoria Corcoran and Craig Hailes, business owners, won another award for their community service. The company takes care of more than 100 cats each day and uses an 80kw biomass boiler system to burn extra waste.
It is also part in the Mars Recycling Scheme. As nothing goes to waste, the biomass boiler can heat all of the hotel.
