Green-fingered youngsters are set to create a mini-wood in their school grounds after they were given hundreds of pounds to buy saplings and gardening tools.
Children at the Arboretum Primary School, in Corden Street, Derby, have just planted a whole host of trees, which include silver birch saplings, after Hazelwood chemical company Lubrizol made a donation of £300.
Arboretum Primary is striving to earn itself an Eco-School Green Flag, which awards schools who have helped improve the environment in both the school and local community, and will accompany the tree-planting by painting a mural to celebrate the steps it has made towards a more sustainable future.
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Seven-year-old Ibrahim Raja and Zoya Mehmood plant trees at Arboretum Primary School in Derby after the school was given £300 towards gardening equipment and saplings by Derbyshire firm Lubrizol.
It will also host an “eco-ball” event this summer, when it will showcase its work to invited guests, including Katherine Wheatley, author of eco-inspired children’s book Carbon Monster.
Lubrizol made the donation after it was approached by the school’s geography co-ordinator Alison Roberts asking for help.
She said: “We are very grateful for Lubrizol’s donation, which has allowed the school to purchase saplings and gardening tools.
“Their passion for the environment and sustainability mirrors our own, so it was great to form a strong relationship with them. We’re hoping these steps will aid our progress in being awarded the Eco-School Green Flag.
“We’re also very excited to get the children involved in contributing to the environment and showcasing their successes this summer at our exciting eco-ball. We believe this will be a great way to boost their mental health amidst uncertain times while supporting the community.”
Lubrizol’s donation has been made as part of its own pledge to increase funding to causes that support environmental stewardship and further its “Move Cleaner, Create Smarter and Live Better” mission.
Claire Hollingshurst, quality system manager at Lubrizol, said the firm welcomed the chance to give the school children the chance to take action to help the environment.
Claire Hollingshurst, quality system manager at Lubrizol, said: “Every day, Lubrizol proactively works to extend opportunities to deliver on our commitment to environmental stewardship. This includes actions we are taking in our own walls to improve the sustainability of our sites and our products but also the partnerships we have in our communities to advance social responsibility.
“Supporting schools is especially important to us, particularly regarding the environment, as children are the ones who can make the most impact and we want to ensure we give them an opportunity to be heard.
“Encouraging the next generation to take action can only be a good thing, as they will influence their friends and family, who will then be encouraged to get involved and contribute to the environment.”
