Green Champions Awards

Winners

Green School: The Merlin School 

The Merlin School started a green initiative last September and has since made myriad environmental improvements. It implemented a weekly Green Club for pupils, who, having helped the school attain its Level 2 RHS school gardening certificate, are now working towards Level 3. Students make use of composting and recycling bins in every classroom, and use rainwater from the water butt in the garden on the vegetable patch, whose vegetables are then eaten at school. Scraps are then collected by the green team and composted, continuing the cycle.

They recycle batteries, have a green notice board, and arranged a whole-school car-free day. Staff are encouraged to use bicycles purchased through the Cycle to Work scheme and many now car-share. Plans to further improve use of resources include purchasing recycled products such as stationery and creating an in-school Freecycle

scheme to pass unwanted items to new homes.

 

Waste Minimisation and Recycling Champion: Maggie Gilbert

As a long-standing Wandsworth resident, Maggie has been taking care of the borough and educating its children for years. Her recycling fanaticism leads her to pick up items from the street to put in the orange recycling sacks at home. It paid off surprisingly in 2007 when she found a pair of FA Cup Final tickets in the gutter three hours before kick-off!

As a childminder Maggie passes on her green passion to the children in her care, helping them recycle, grow fruits and vegetables (beans, apples, strawberries and herbs), and create wildlife habitats in the garden. She has been a strict vegan for almost 40 years and runs workshops at the Wandsworth Work and Play Scrapstore, which provides materials for art and craft projects that would otherwise have been thrown away.

Green Project or Group: Bramford Community Garden

Bramford Community Garden, the borough's first community garden on public land, is located in a park near Wandsworth Town station. It is maintained entirely by Transition Town Wandsworth (TTW) volunteers who have transformed an unused site into a thriving space enjoyed by both residents and volunteers. 

The project has limited cash resources, so apart from the aid of initial small grants (from the likes of the council's Eco Fund) it instead relies on the boundless enthusiasm of local helpers.

In this, its first year, volunteers planted ornamental and edible plants, and recently introduced raised herb beds and a wild flower meadow with the help of the Master Gardener Programme. The local community has welcomed the project and kindly donated plants.

 

 

 

 

Green Champion: Tessa Willy

Tessa lives in the borough and works as a lecturer at Roehampton University , where she recently developed 'RU Outdoors?', a project which sparked the creation of an allotment and an outdoor area for teaching, volunteering and other cultural schemes. The upkeep of 20 vegetable-growing beds is partly carried out by staff and students, however the area has been opened up for use by local groups and individuals. Tessa has welcomed schools, charities, religious establishments and even patients at the hospital, helping root the University firmly within its local community.  

Having most recently worked with the safer neighbourhood team (SNT) and local primary school on an environmental poetry competition, her tireless commitment has made Tessa a well-known leader-by-example in terms of environmental sustainability education.

 

All category winners received a trophy and certificate from the Mayor of Wandsworth, as well as a cheque courtesy of sponsor Thames Water.

 

 

 

 

Categories

Green School

Schools are assessed on what they do to protect the environment as an organisation, and on the quality of environmental education they provide to pupils. 

Waste Minimisation and Recycling Champion(s)

Does your flat-share go all-out to recycle everything? Maybe you compost vegetable peelings, have traded in your car for a bicycle or only take no-fly holidays? This category is open to individuals and groups who have made a big effort to reduce the amount of waste produced or have done so in innovative ways.    

Green Project or Group

Open to any organisation, group, class or green project. Groups are judged on the contribution they make to the local environment. Council projects are excluded, however projects part-funded by the council are eligible.

Green Champion

Open to anyone, this category recognises an individual's outstanding contribution to the local environment; however this contribution was made. The winner of this category receives a £500 prize, thanks to our sponsor Thames Water.