Local Agenda 21 aims to encourage us all to become more aware of the effect that our lifestyle has on the environment. The programme creates many and varied opportunities for people to play an active part in their local areas -encouraging local action to improve the global environment. Most recently a number of puppet shows have taken place in North Huyton Schools.

At each school all the children watched the puppet show, written and performed by Zap Entertainment. Children were encouraged not to drop litter and care for the environment using the 3Rs - Reduce Re-use Recycle. The message was then taken further through workshops with Year 6 who were taught how to write, produce and perform their own puppet shows with an environmental theme.

All the Year 6 children involved performed brilliantly to the rest of their schools, impressing pupils, teachers and parents alike. The sessions highlighted that young people recognise litter problems in their local areas and are keen to spread the anti litter message to their friends.

This Huyton LA21 initiative was delivered in partnership with the Groundwork Trust and was part funded by the Huyton HELP SRB Regeneration Partnership. For more information about the Huyton Local Agenda 21 Programme please contact Jane Palmer on 0151 443 2280.

Pictured above: Children learning lessons about their environment with the Sunshine Puppets

Stockbridge Village schools are ‘doing their bit’ for the environment and taking up the Eco Schools challenge. The Eco Schools programme is a Europe-wide project designed to encourage whole school action for the environment. The aim is to make environmental awareness and action an everyday part of school life - both for pupils and for staff.

St Brigid’s Catholic Primary are leading the way, having gained the prestigious Green Flag Award last year. St Albert’s Catholic Primary are close behind having gained the Bronze Award in March this year. Issues that the schools have tackled include litter problems, recycling, energy conservation and school grounds development.

The Elms school started work on Eco Schools in March 2000 and have already developed a nature area in their grounds and will soon be undertaking a recycling project. Inspired by the success of the two award winning schools, and the developments made by The Elms, Nine Trees Primary and Brookside Primary have signed up for the programme. Together, the five schools are taking responsibility for their actions and improving the environment of Stockbridge Village.

For more information on the Eco Schools programme and environmental education in Knowsley, please contact Suzanne Jones (Environmental Education Officer) at Knowsley Council on 0151 443 2274.

<< A recent community event in Knowsley

KMBC has secured Heritage Lottery funding to sustain the Heritage of the River Alt Valley within Huyton. The North Huyton community are keen to be involved to improve their environment and make the Alt more accessible. A footpath will be installed along the River Alt between Liverpool Road and Woolfall Heath Avenue - adjacent to Seth Powell Way. The scheme will include either a bridge link across the Alt or a ramp link up to Liverpool Road depending on the outcome of community consultation.

In addition to footpath work, vegetation will be cleared to open up views and spring bulbs will be planted in the grassy banks. Art works will be integral to the scheme and they will be designed through community workshop events.

The project is being run by HELP (the Huyton Environmental Regeneration Programme), funded by Huyton SRB. Groundwork St Helens, Knowsley, Sefton and Liverpool have been invited to run the installation contract. The new path will form an extension to an earlier phase of footpath work undertaken between Liverpool Road and White Lodge Avenue implemented through HELP and Groundwork in Spring 2000. The ultimate aim is to create a footpath along the whole of the Alt valley under the Alt 2000 banner.

Building on the success of school ground improvements within the Huyton SRB area, mural workshops and mosiac tiling workshops are taking place with parents and residents in the area.

Skills gained will enable parents to continue to improve their local schools and create more art features in the future - past the life of funding.

The pilot scheme is taking place at Beechwood Primary, Brookside Primary, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary and Roby Park Primary.

The first sessions took place at Beechwood Primary. The mural is now in place and forms a striking entrance feature to the school. Mrs Taylor, headteacher at the school, tells us, “We chose the anti-bullying theme because making our school happy and welcoming for the children has been an important part of school improvement. The children’s drawings show some of the features of the initiative, for example the Anti-Bullying boxes as we call them. As well as exposing the misery that bullying cab bring, we also encourage good friendship. We have a good friends box and rewards for these children twice a year. Bullying will never be eradicated, but we are working to keep it to a minimum.”

The school are continuing their work through Knowsley’s Citizenship and Social Inclusion Unit. They have been awarded £4,000 through the Whole School Anti-Bullying Initiative to develop a sense of awareness about bullying, with children and parents being encouraged to work together to bring bullying issues to the forefront.

For more information on Community Environmental Art contact Nancie Price on 0151 443 2237, or if you would like to know more about the Anti-Bullying Initiative call the school on 0151 489 6471.

Picture: Parents created their mural around the school's (Beechwood) anti-bullying theme