The Salvation Army’s ‘Recycle with Michael’ scheme has inspired pupils in several schools across Norfolk to recycle over a tonne of clothes, and pupils from Weasenham C of E Primary Academy topped the list winning a county-wide prize.
On October 8 Weasenham C of E Primary Academy in West Norfolk was awarded the winner’s trophy of the The Salvation Army’s county-wide competition to encourage recycling in schools, as part of its ‘Recycle with Michael’ initiative to divert thousands of tonnes of textiles away from landfill.
1,836 pupils from 10 schools in Norfolk took part in the initiative, collectively donating 1.46 tonnes of unwanted clothes and shoes. However it was Weasenham C of E Primary Academy, located between Fakenham and Swaffham, which won the county competition, with 0.20 tonnes being collected by its pupils – the largest donation of goods (calculated as the highest ratio of weight to pupils) of all the schools that took part across the region.
Michael, the mascot of the scheme, came to the school on Tuesday, October 8 to meet pupils and present the award to the school’s Head Rachel Felton (pictured).
Kirk Bradley, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd, said: “We’re delighted to name the pupils from the Weasenham C of E Primary Academy our ‘Recycle with Michael’ champions. We were overwhelmed by the school’s response to the campaign and the dedication of pupils and staff in promoting and acting on the recycling message.
“Our van was full to the brim on collection day thanks to all the donations. In fact, participation in the competition across the whole of Norfolk has been amazing. We hope this is the start of a determined drive to give unwanted items a new lease of life – turning clothes, shoes and textiles into funds for local schools as well as for our charitable work.”
The Salvation Army’s ‘Recycle with Michael’ project aims to educate children about the importance of recycling in a fun and engaging way. The programme is supported by free downloadable school materials such as presentations, posters and lesson plans which teach environmental and charitable messages.
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