Leicester Mercury

Pupils have message about plastic litter

TWO DESIGNS CHOSEN FOR A CAMPAIGN TO CUT WASTE

- By STAFF REPORTER

TWO young designers from a school have helped launch a campaign to raise awareness of the impact of litter on the environmen­t.

Muhammad, four, and Thomas, five, from Overdale Infant School, in Knighton, Leicester, were the winners of a schools competitio­n to design promotiona­l materials for the Sea Starts Here campaign.

It aims to raise awareness of the impact plastic waste can have on the wider environmen­t if it is not disposed of correctly.

Plastics dropped as litter can end up in rivers and oceans, causing pollution and harm to wildlife, as well as contributi­ng to increased flood risks.

Muhammad and Thomas’s winning designs combined images of sea creatures with their slogans Only Rain Down the Drain and Keep the Sea Plastic Free.

The designs have been turned into stencils that will be used to spray the message around drains close to schools across the city.

Hayley Holmes, head teacher at Overdale, said: “Teaching our children to take care of their environmen­t is really important to us.

“We have an active Eco Club which promotes an environmen­tally friendly approach.

“The Sea Starts Here event has helped the children understand the impact of plastic waste and the need to

The powerful message of the winning designs is hard to ignore

Councilor Adam Clarke

recycle. They were very enthusiast­ic about the competitio­n and it gave the school a platform to enhance our eco message to the wider school community.

“We are very proud of all children who entered the competitio­n and are thrilled with Thomas and Mohammad’s winning designs.” Deputy mayor Councillor Adam Clarke, who leads on environmen­t, said: “Our Eco-schools programme is working with thousands of children at schools across the city to raise awareness of important environmen­tal issues like biodiversi­ty, energy, litter and waste. “It challenges students to see what improvemen­ts they could make to their schools and grounds to help improve its green credential­s. “These might seem like small-scale projects, but they can have a big reach and a big impact.

“The Sea Starts Here is a good example of this.

“The powerful message of the winning designs is hard to ignore, and I was very impressed by how the young designers and the wider school community have got to grips with this important issue.”

 ??  ?? WINNING IDEAS: Muhammad and Thomas, from Overdale Infants
Sacheverel­l Way, Groby and Groby Road, Ratby:
WINNING IDEAS: Muhammad and Thomas, from Overdale Infants Sacheverel­l Way, Groby and Groby Road, Ratby:
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