Thomson and First Choice move closer to sustainable pledge by reaching over 140,000 school pupils with key environmental message

Working with National Schools Partnership (NSP) to incorporate the innovative ‘Eco-traveller’ programme into the National Curriculum, Thomson and First Choice’s sustainable tourism key messages have reached over 1,000 schools across the UK and more than 140,000 children.

The Eco-traveller programme which was launched in June this year, includes a series of activity sheets with teacher notes and an online quiz game for use in the classroom and at home. All these teaching aids are designed to teach primary school children at Key Stage two (aged seven to 11) about the steps that they can take to contribute to a more sustainable future.

Activity sheets on destinations such as Kenya encourage the children to think laterally about ecosystems and the needs of animals and humans, whilst spotting the problems that could be caused by climate change in communities around the world. The children also learn about the issues that holiday destinations could face, with a detailed look at the sustainable tourism projects that Thomson and First Choice are involved in.

School pupils have been learning about recycling, reducing water usage and packing lightly when going on holiday – they also had the opportunity to enter a competition by outlining their ‘green’ pledge in a bid to win a family holiday courtesy of Thomson and First Choice. Four pupils from across the UK were awarded the prize for their hard work.

Christian Cull, Director of Communications for Thomson and First Choice, said: “We have had really positive feedback from pupils, parents and teachers and want to continue the Eco-traveller project into next year. This activity goes some way towards fulfilling one of our ‘Holidays Forever’ commitments: engaging half a million children in sustainable tourism. We also know that our customers want to travel with a tour operator that cares about the environment, so this is a really important area for us to continue to review and improve on. ”

There were four winners overall from across the UK, each winning a £2,000 holiday voucher.

The full 20 sustainable commitments are available on the Holidays Forever website here: www.holidaysforever.co.uk and details on the Eco-Traveller project can be found here: www.holidaysforever.co.uk/ecotraveller.

Rural Sussex pre-school secures allotment

A pre-school in rural Sussex is adding allotment sessions to its curriculum after securing a plot next door to the school after several years on the waiting list.

Blackboys Pre-School near Uckfield in East Sussex was delighted to hear it had been successful in obtaining a plot. The allotment will let pupils spend time outside their pre-school environment to grow vegetables, fruit and plants and keep chickens, under the careful supervision of staff, during their sessions at the pre-school.

It will help teach them practical skills from a very young age and help them explore their natural environment, build their confidence and boost their independence. It will offer problem solving, team working and lessons in the basics of self sufficiency. They are even hoping it will allow them to grow their own snacks!

Green issues underpin the pre-school’s ethos. It enjoys a close collaboration with a forest school, the Mohair Centre (www.mohaircentre.co.uk) in nearby Chiddingly, which offers a wide variety of outdoor activities aimed at getting children to use their imagination and gain a greater understanding of their local environment.

To celebrate having its own allotment, the pre-school held an allotment dig over on Sunday 12 June. Parents and children braved the elements to transform the plot from neglected wasteland to a blank canvas for the pre-school children to begin planting fruit and vegetables.

Pre-school manager Jenny Novkovic says: “Having the allotment is a great excuse for us to engage with other members of the community. We’d love to get to know other allotment holders, and it would be great if they could share their tips with our children.

“Blackboys Pre-School is an important part of our local community. We’d love to engage with local people, regardless of whether or not they have children at the pre-school. It’s an opportunity to transcend generations and build a real sense of community into this rural village,” Novkovic adds.

The pre-school is also appealing for donations of unwanted garden tools or seeds to help kick start its allotment project. Mikyla Elsey, chair of the parent-led pre-school committee says: “Any tools would be greatly appreciated – we’ve already had a few donations, from a shed to a packet of seeds. We are immensely grateful for anything we are given. Being able to offer our children this experience is a wonderful opportunity. It’s a skill that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.”

If you want to donate any garden tools, get involved in Blackboys Pre-School’s “Growing up Green” project or find out more about Blackboys Pre-School, contact Jenny on 01825 890 or email enquiries@blackboyspreschool.org.uk.