Eco-Schools Meeting Minutes 21/05/09
Minutes taken by Simon Duncan
Meeting 21 May 2009, Cross Keys Pub
Present
Simon Duncan, Angie Jefferys, Ceri Treasure, George Berry, Kate Robinson
1 - School Energy Audit
SD confirmed the free Energy Survey of the school buildings has been completed by the Carbon Trust for Somerset County Council Sites. The survey will identify areas of energy waste and highlight solutions to save energy and money. A copy of the completed survey will be sent to the school by the end of May. Once we have the survey we can include the findings and action points in our application for the Green Flag Eco award.
2 - Green Flag Eco Award
Action
SD to start work on the Action plan required to submit an application for the Green Flag award, email draft to the Eco Team for comments.
3 - Energy monitor - Owl
AJ confirmed Grant Slade has helped her get the Owl monitor working, AJ needs more help to measure the readings for a project to calculate current power use and power use during a power down period. AJ will organise a piece of work to measure and plot the cost of the school power for a project for the Green Flag Eco award application.
Action
SD to ask Grant Slade to drop in to the school to help AJ measure the Owl readings.
4 - ECO Bags
SD confirmed bags are due before the 18 July village festival day.
Action
SD check progress of Eco Bag manufacture
5 - Greenhouse
The team agreed we should continue to work towards purchasing a Greenhouse (with safety glass) to grow produce for the allotment.
Action
SD research potential cost of a greenhouse and ask FORS if they would consider purchasing one for the school
6 - School Chickens
It was agreed to continue researching if the school should consider an 'Eglu Cube House' for school chickens. The eggs could be given to the children or parents to bake cakes to be sold to raise funds for the school. The chickens could be fed on the children's lunch food waste.
Contact Batheaston school to investigate their school chicken project.
Check out www.Omlet.co.uk
The Eglu Cube 'Batheaston Primary school has 215 pupils aged 5 to 11, the whole school is involved. The children are designing labels for the egg boxes which they are then going to sell - a lesson in business and enterprise'.
Action
KR to ask Richard Livingston as he has been on a Chicken farming course to provide a basic feasibility report on the potential for chickens at the school.
7 - School Bins
Before the Eco team got involved all the schools waste was put in one big blue bin. The team has helped organise bins to recycle most of the schools waste. We now have Green Bins to recycle paper and Brown Compost Bins to take fruit waste. The County Council currently do not collect / recycle Cardboard and Plastic.
Action
GB investigate options to recycle the schools cardboard and plastic waste
8 - Village Festival
The Eco team suggested that the school should have a display stand at the village festival day 18th July to include information about what the eco team has achieved.
Action
SD to discuss this with Carolyn Tommey.
9 - Travel Plan
AJ confirmed the school travel plan has been completed and should soon arrive at the school. The travel plan will help towards the Green Flag Eco award application.
Action
AJ chase the local authority for the travel plan.
10 - Cycling Proficiency / Bikeability
Sally Fussell had offered to help with this for school pupils which could tie in with the school travel plan to encourage children to cycle to school. As Sally has recently had a shoulder operation SD to contact other parents that could help with this.
Action
SD to contact Debbie and Russel Burton and others in the village to look for help to help with this
11 - International contact
Should we make contact with a school abroad, such as Africa, Europe how we impact with others across the world
Action
Discuss with Carolyn
12 - Sustainable school project
We need to work on a sustainable project to involve children, school and parents. Perhaps something to do with the produce grown on the school allotment. Could the school grow Lavender and make and sell Lavendar bags by recycling parents cotton shirts etc
Could we purchase a small wind turbine which drives a motor to make something we could sell. The school compost fumes could generate methane to drive a motor or solar panels etc
Action
Continue to discuss options at Eco Meetings, discuss with Carolyn
