Children’s artwork inspired by letter from the Pope:

Depicted in the eco-gallery are Elmer the Elephant, the Carillon tower, a whale, lollipop trees, turtles, sea life and the Garden of Eden

A LETTER from the Pope has inspired pupils at a Loughborough primary school to create a colourful eco-art gallery.

Children in each class at the Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy, in Beacon Road, have been busy collecting plastic bottle tops to create seven separate artworks.

The school’s Catholic Life Eco Art project has been inspired by a world-wide communal letter, known in the church as an encyclical, sent out by Pope Francis.

The Fratelli Tutti Encyclical was issued on the October feast day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology.

The phrase Fratelli Tutti means “all brothers and sisters” and Pope Francis is asking for people to work together to help heal social and ecological ills, such as prejudice and climate change. With that philosophy in mind, each class, from Reception to Year 6, banded together to create seven striking pictures, which now line a fence at the school. Depicted are Elmer the Elephant, the Carillon tower, a whale, lollipop trees in the style of Austrian artist Hundertwasser, turtles, sea life and the Garden of Eden. Sacred Heart head teacher Lisa Atkins said: “The gallery has been attached to a fence so we can enjoy each other’s creations outside of our bubbles.

“We plan to print the artwork on to a postcard that we can use to celebrate good deeds throughout the school.”