Generation Green energy for Toward Primary School – National Grid contributor

The south coast of the Cowal peninsula now sees Toward Primary school sporting £25,000 worth of solar energy panels. Before anyone imagines that Argyll & Bute’s education budget is wonderfully flush with cash, the school and its pupils won this as their prize for coming first in British Gas’s Generation Green competition.

This nationwide contest challenged primary school pupils to become as ‘green’ as they could. Every achievement was awarded a green leaf and there was an overall target of leaves to be met.

Toward was among the first 12 UK schools to meet the target – and the only one in Scotland, and was awarded the top prize.

Solar Energies installed the system over the summer and the school is now producing electricity, some of which is going to the National Grid.

Argyll schools are forging ahead in green education. The number of schools with Green Flags waving gently at their gates is impressive and another school – Rothesay Primary on Bute – installed £20,000-worth of solar panels in January this year. These were provided by the Green Energy for Schools initiative, funded jointly by the Co-operative and the Government’s Low Carbon Building programme.

Of the Toward School’s achievement, Head Teacher Cathleen Russell says: ‘Through the process of participating in the competition the pupils themselves have become much more aware of their consumption of electricity and the need to try and reduce what they use.  This is something we want to encourage and foster as we all try to combat climate change’.

Councillor Isobel Strong, Argyll & Bute Council’s Spokesperson for Education and Lifelong Learning, says: ‘Green issues are at the forefront of everyone’s agenda these days and we should all be thinking about what we can do to preserve our planet for future generations.

‘Toward Primary has really taken this message to heart and pupils, staff, parents, friends and the wider community have made fantastic efforts to reduce their individual and collective carbon footprint.

To be one of only 12 schools across the UK – and the only one from Scotland – to win the solar panels is an incredible achievement. I wholeheartedly congratulate all those who have contributed to Toward Primary’s success’.

And the congratulations also came at Ministerial level. Michael Russell, Minister for Culture, Foreign Affairs and the Constitution, said: ”Now the hard work to power this good wee school is coming from the sun and the school is playing it’s part in helping to reduce emissions and greening the planet. They are an example to follow.”