On Wednesday, 10th June, I went to a conference hosted by the Ashden Awards at the Imperial College, London. The Ashden Awards for sustainable energy are to reward those making advances in local solutions to climate change. The purpose of the day was to give the Ashden Awards finalists the opportunity to talk about their achievements and successes.
I was at the conference primarily in order to meet with Ashley Primary School whose pupils were remarkable in both their enthusiasm and bravery in addressing so many people. First we viewed a short film outlining how following an expedition to the Antarctic Richard Dunne, headteacher, was inspired to create a sustainable energy school. Then four pupils from Ashley Primary, Aaron, Megan, Joshua and Ellie, spoke about how they have accomplished reducing their use of electricity throughout the whole school by more than half in the last year.
It was a really enjoyable day and it was obvious from listening to the children that they really knew what they were talking about and loved being involved with the project. The buzz that was created throughout the audience proves what an exciting and fundamental change that has been started by Ashley School. Having met with Richard Dunne there is no doubt in my mind that the success is largely due to his enthusiasm and dedication and I only hope that the inspiration he evokes can be carried forward to schools nationwide.
Daisy