Saying it Loud: London’s schools celebrate their sustainable development achievements.

Say it Loud, a festival for young people on sustainable development, was held at the Royal Geographical Society on 17 June.

The festival was part of London Sustainability Week. Co-sponsored by the Government Office for London, it brought together pupils from more than 30 London schools to celebrate their achievements in promoting sustainable development.

On launching London Sustainability Week, Environment Minister Elliot Morley said:

“We need to encourage action, however small, as everyone can make a difference.”

The Say it Loud festival celebrated this sentiment, and featured displays and live stage presentations on some of the varied projects pupils have been involved in. These included recycling, tree planting, food growing, composting, healthy eating initiatives and renewable energy use.

Some notable examples included St James the Great Primary school in Croydon, which displayed work on recycling, reducing waste and using recycled products, while pupils at Hornsey School for Girls have been learning about the importance of water and are fundraising for a well in Peru. Harlington Community school in Hillingdon is making its own contribution to reducing greenhouse gases by installing solar panels and now has plans for a wind turbine. Many of the pupils are involved in improving their school grounds and in food growing projects involving the wider community.