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Shipdham school awarded green grant

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The council awarded the grant from its Green Community Grants Fund which forms part of the council’s broader commitment to the environment and becoming NetZero as an organisation by 2035.

Mrs Amy Taylor, a teacher at Thomas Bullock applied for the Green Community Grant from Breckland council to enable the primary school to further expand on the work that they do in the school farm and around caring for the environment.

Mrs Taylor said: “We have obtained a large grant of £3k to provide some valuable habitats for wildlife, to add a permanent water source to our farm growing area and to buy some more resources so the children can continue to grow their own vegetables.” 

Cllr Ian Sherwood, Executive Member for People, Communications and Governance at Breckland Council, said: “We received a wide range of really impressive applications to our Green Community Grants Fund, and Thomas Bullock Primary Academy’s applications is definitely one of those. It’s fantastic to see young people getting involved in projects that will increase biodiversity and sustainability and teach them about the environment at the same time, so we were very pleased to be able to award them this grant. One of our priorities as a council is finding ways for us all to increase sustainability, and that’s something we need to get the next generation interested in and inspired by.”

Mrs Shannon O’Sullivan, headteacher of Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary Academy, part of Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust (DNEAT), said: “It is an imperative role for schools to develop a life-long love of the outdoors and develop sustainable approaches to living.  Much of our education in geography and science includes outdoor learning in our farm, wildlife garden, bird hide, pond and in our forest school.  We are delighted by the time Mrs Taylor has taken to support this application and the kind grant from Breckland Council which will ensure our children continue to learn how to care for their environment, on their doorstep.”

Oliver Burwood, CEO of Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust said: “We are pleased that Thomas Bullock Primary Academy have been successful in accessing this grant. This fits in with our desire as a Trust to both improve our school environments for both children and wildlife and to work with any partners who can help us achieve our aim of achieving net zero by 2030, in line with the rest of the Church of England. ​The upcoming COP 26 summit will give all of our academies to engage with these vital issues which children naturally tell us they want to take action on.”

The Breckland 2035 Sustainability Strategy include increasing the number of electric vehicle charging points across the district, protecting and increasing tree canopy, reducing the impact of the council’s buildings and employees on emissions levels and empowering our communities to take action for themselves.