Green Guardians Winners 2008
Awards categatories for 2008:
(Winners pictured above. For details of winning projects please see below.)
- Environmentalist of the Year
- Environmental Community
- Education and the Environment
- Environmental Business
- Young Environmentalist
- Protecting the Environment through Partnership
- Living for Tomorrow
Environmentalist of the Year
Supported by EDF Energy
Winner: David Dixon
Founder of Cultiv8 Hawtonville, a scheme helping people grow their own organic fruit and vegetables.
Category judge Stephen Lee, Technical Records Co-ordinator at EDF Energy said: “David’s work involves pupils, staff and the wider community and the project obviously has a wide remit: involving things like composting and organically-grown vegetables. There is wider local community involvement and they are at the heart of the project.”
Runners Up:
Geoff Staton, Ellis Guilford Primary School
Kimberley Cooper-Smith
Environmental Community of the Year
Supported by EDF Energy
Winner: Growing Greener
Leading Flintham Primary School and the wider community in improving the local and wider environment, helping set up recycling programs, waste reduction schemes, litter picking sessions and composting. Not only has recycling become part of the school routine, but the facilities are used by the whole community.
David Bellamy praised the school, saying it had: “Good news to share with everyone.”
Runners Up:
Partnership Council
Perlethorpe Environmental Educational Centre
Friends of Bingham Linear Park
Education and the Environment
Supported by Veolia Environmental Services
Winner: Orston Primary School
The school runs a dedicated environmental programme, which has become a fundamental aspect of learning within the school, and the number of environment related activities are countless. Pupils helped launch the new Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust initiative ‘Wear Your Wellies for Wildlife’ and raised money to support the ‘Adopt a Species’ scheme, as well as helping to plant reedbeds at North Muskham Lake. The school has links with many eco organisations, including schools in New Zealand.
David Bellamy said: “I would have loved to have gone to this school! They have fantastic ideas that really have a long term benefit.”
Runners Up:
Flintham Primary School
Edwalton Primary School
Environmental Business Award
Supported by RWE npower
Winner: River Crescent
A new eco-friendly housing development which aims to give Nottingham’s Riverside Regeneration the best possible start with renewable energy initiatives and respect for biodiversity. It incorporates 2.4 acres of landscaped public open-space, designed to encourage biodiversity and wildlife with sustainable building practices, and renewable energy generation.
The scheme was praised as a “flagship” in green design and David Bellamy said it provided “great ideas for all our futures.”
Runners Up:
‘Flying Visits’ East Midlands Airport
Living for Tomorrow Award
Supported by Nottinghamshire County Council
Chosen from all the shortlisted projects
Winner: Edwalton Primary School
A well-rounded approach to environmental education. The school runs a working farm and has incorporated a nature reserve into the school grounds. It also holds community events throughout the year, and was the first primary school in the UK to be designated a specialist school for environmental studies.
New awards for 2008!
Young Environmentalist of the Year
Supported by Siemens Energy Services
Winners: Isla Sleath, Rushcliffe Watch Group and Alicia Mistry, Edwalton Primary School
Judges struggled to pick a clear winner between the two short-listed projects and decided to declare them both winners.
Speaking about Isla the judges said: “Isla has made a real difference through her enthusiasm and commitment to the number of young people joining and remaining committed to the Rushcliffe Watch Group.”
Judge Rob Gornall of Siemens Metering Services said: “Edwalton Primary School is clearly making an outstanding contribution to the environment and Alicia has been a key part of this through her commitment and her clear leadership qualities. She is a shining example to her fellow pupils. The work at Edwalton is an inspiration to other schools and it could not be done without pupils like Alicia.”
Protecting the Environment through Partnership
Supported by University of Nottingham
Winner: Partnership Council
Based in Hyson Green, it runs a wide range of projects involving community groups and individuals with the aim of promoting sustainable living. The Partnership Council has worked with many other organisations, including Ecoworks, Forest Fields Community Centre, and Nottingham City Play Workers to spread the ‘green message.’ They have been implementing initiatives to improve the local environment and get communities involved, including free Ecover washing-up liquid to student houses in Lenton, to remind them to clean up!
Speaking about the Partnership Council Professor Alan Dodson, University of Nottingham’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Environment said: “Sustainability is at the very heart of this project: it involves many areas and has greatly benefited the community. There is both innovation and creativity here, and people really have been brought together - from the Partnership Council to local individuals. This approach has contributed significantly to the scheme’s success.”
David Bellamy said that they are “winners all the way.”
Runners Up:
Bowbridge Primary School
