Isle of Wight primaries share £10,000 for environmental projects

The 15 schools selected – from all over the Island – are the first to benefit from the cross-Solent travel provider’s new Green Fund for Schools initiative.

In January, Wightlink invited all Island primary schools to apply for funds to assist projects which sought to conserve nature, enhance biodiversity, encourage recycling, reduce the use of plastics and water or save energy.

Keith Greenfield, Wightlink chief executive, said: “We had applications from almost half of the Island’s primary schools, which was a great response in the first year of the Green Fund for Schools initiative.

“We are pleased that a large majority of submissions met our criteria and look forward to working closely with the successful schools in the coming months to bring their projects to fruition.”

The primaries receiving money from Wightlink Green Fund for Schools 2022 are:

• Bembridge CE Primary School – For an energy-saving outdoor lighting project.
• Brighstone CE Primary School – For a wildflower meadow, native woodland, mini habitat and vegetable garden.
• Carisbrooke Primary School – For recycling bins, compost bins and water butts
• Cowes Primary School – To increase biodiversity on nearby woodland.
• Dover Park Primary School – To provide ‘donate and take locker stations’ to recycle uniforms and reduce waste.
• Godshill Primary School – For glass and paper recycling units.
• Holy Cross Catholic Primary School – For a large pond area and to increase habitat in a nearby copse.
• Nine Acres Primary School – For compost bins made from recycled pallets and tools to move waste and compost.
• Shalfleet CE and Yarmouth CE Primary Schools – For a ‘recycling more’ initiative at each school, including wormery, composter, recycling bins and gardening tools.
• St Saviour’s Catholic Primary School – To increase recycling of waste paper in the school.
• St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School – For native pond plants to enhance biodiversity.
• Summerfields Primary School – To enhance the biodiversity of the school forest area and reuse resources.
• Wootton Community Primary School – For various projects to encourage biodiversity including pond planting, bird feeders, planting and bat boxes.
• Wroxall Primary School – For a vegetable allotment, wildflowers, composter and water butts.

Shalfleet CE Primary: School lead Liam Roberts and Martin Gulliver from Wightlink with pupils Hollie Cool, Maisie Cool and Rosie Cool.

Yarmouth CE Primary: School lead Liam Roberts and Martin Gulliver from Wightlink with pupils Izy Bishop, Scarlett Plumley and Summer Plumley.