A group of passionate environmentalists from
St Gregory’s Catholic Science College in Brent were granted £56,000 in funding to transform an area of Woodcock Park which had fallen into disrepair.
Pupils gained almost 250 signatures from members of the local community for a petition they created to support their funding bid to the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy.
Pupils worked with Brent Council to bring their ideas to fruition. As a result, a large area of treacherous tarmac has been resurfaced and will soon be marked out with football, netball and rounders courts. In addition, an all-weather permeable surface has been laid for the installation of picnic benches.
On 5th February, the St Gregory’s team invited pupils from Uxendon Manor Primary School and representatives from the Friends of Woodcock Park to help them plant trees in the newly refurbished space. Staff from Veolia, which manages Woodcock Park, were on site to support pupils plant the trees, which the young environmentalists hope will help improve biodiversity as well as add much needed shade to the area.
St Gregory’s Eco Warrior, Augustine Charles, 14, expressed his sense of achievement, saying, ‘I feel really proud, because without us I don’t think this project would ever have happened. The improvements help people be more active as there is a nicer and safer environment to play in. There are not that many benches in the park so adding benches here gives the community more of an opportunity to come together and adding new trees helps the environment even more.’
Fellow pupil, Kamil Ziolkowski, also 14, added, ‘I feel proud because we’ve had a big impact on our local environment.’
St Gregory’s Headteacher, Andrew Prindiville said, ‘This is a fantastic example of how our young people have made a positive impact on their local community. I am extremely proud of the passion and determination shown by these pupils to make a difference to the world around them.’
St Gregory’s Catholic Science College has held an Eco Schools Green Flag for six years and in 2018, pupils won the Royal Horticultural Society’s School Gardening Team of the Year.
