Pupils from Arran High School
present a cheque to the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) following a month long conservation campaign that involved fundraising and beach cleaning. Pictured with the children are nurture hub staff Jennifer Christie and Eileen Gregg and COAST representative Nikki Harris.
Pupils from Arran High School have been holding a month-long environmental campaign by cleaning the beach at Lamlash and raising funds for the marine conservation charity, Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST).
The altruistic endeavours of the children raised £104.55 for COAST and in a special handover ceremony early this week they presented COAST representatives Nikki Harris with a cheque which will be used for conservation efforts.
The fundraising idea devised with nurture teachers Jennifer Christie and Eileen Gregg, saw children creating ‘I love Arran’ stones, heart stones and heart decorative garlands. It was initially planned to sell these items at an Easter market in Brodick, but when these plans were scuppered by coronavirus cancellations they opted to set up a pop-up shop on the benches outside COAST’s headquarters, the Octopus Centre.
The shop sold Arran mementos as well as a number of stone sea creatures which children coloured in, in return for a small donation from parents.
The children themselves manned the pop-up shop, many joining the visitors in helping to decorate and personalise the stones, while others collected rubbish from the beach. Other than the reward of contributing to keeping the community clean, and assisting a charity, the contribution made by the children will also be recognised with Saltire Awards for all who took part.