Throughout November Balcarras have been taking part in Cut your carbon month. This idea came from Ecoschools, who award the Green flag. Balcarras have been awarded this a couple of times in the last few years. The Eco club came up with suggestions on how to reduce the schools and individuals carbon footprint.

Around 100 pupils took part in a 9 part challenge to cut their carbon, there were a range of actions carried out including having a 'meat free day' or ditching the drive for one journey.  The best actions included a promotional video for local holidays in the forest of Dean, rather than flying abroad. There were ten winners who each received a bar of fairtrade chocolate. They were Amelie Rowe, Amy Palister, Sophia Hearing, Holly Bodenham, Ben Hickman, Kirree Kennagh, Ella Mason, Kiki Price, Darcy Smannack, Holly Thomson. Pupils who take part will be entered into a draw for some fairtrade chocolate as way of a well done for taking positive actions.

We also had a guest speaker come into school and talk with the Eco club and sixth formers, she was the 'Cheltenham Borough Council, clean air education officer' and she had lots of information on the poor state of air quality in our town and how to reduce the impacts of this on our health. For example did you know you are exposed to worse air quality if you sit in a car in traffic, than if you are walking past traffic. Also an idling car releases 150 balloons worth of pollution per minute.

The staff had an 'empty car park day' where they were encouraged to car share, walk or cycle. There was a 25% reduction in the number of cars in the car park on that day, ten staff won a prize of fairtrade chocolate to celebrate this.

If you would like to know more about this, or sustainability around school come to Eco club on Monday lunchtime with Mr Pearce in 7A6