£327,000 to help pupils understand Ding’s air quality

READING’S schools will be among a number around the country to see investment to improve education about air quality.

Reading Borough Council has secured £327,000 of funding to create interactive educational programmes to raise awareness about the effect of air quality on health.

The town is one of 44 local authorities which will share a total of £10.7m in grants, and the money will help build Key Stage lesson plans, workshops, and activities to be delivered to schools, including showing students how to measure air quality.

Professor Hong Yang, project partner from the University of Reading, said: “Our aim is to raise the public’s awareness about the damaging effects of air pollution on children, parents and teachers’ health and inspire communities to make more effective changes that will result in cleaner air and a reduced carbon footprint in schools and the surrounding areas.”

Marta O’Brien, air quality researcher and project partner from the University of Reading, said: “Finding ways of protecting children from exposure to air pollution is an important part of our research.

“Collaboration with Reading Borough Council and other project partners means that our existing work can expand and reach more schools, children, and families.”

Cllr Tony Page, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said: “Securing this funding is great news for our schools and for helping to improve Reading’s environment.

“This will enable us to reach our younger generation and encourage them to be active and passionate ambassadors for the ways we can all help improve air quality.

“Air quality in Reading is generally good and our monitoring shows we meet all current UK air quality objectives for particulate matter.”

He continued: “However, and in common with many busy towns and cities, there are some areas close to congested roads where levels of nitrogen dioxide exceed air quality objectives and where levels of particulates are elevated.

“In these specific areas Reading faces serious challenges in terms of poor air quality which is having a real impact on the health of residents.”

He said that the council would remain “fully committed to maintaining and improving air quality across the town”.