City school pupils go green as they learn about single use plastics at Westover Primary workshops

‘BRILLIANT’ school workshops held in the city educated city youngsters about single-use plastics.

By Katherine Gamboa-Kerwood

Published 18th Jan 2022, 13:03 BST

Updated 18th Jan 2022, 13:05 BST

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Westover Primary School joined forces with Ross Needham, a father of two school pupils and an older child who attended some years ago, to set up two events for the children to help increase awareness of the use of plastic.

Although they hoped to also do a litter pick with the children, they were unfortunately unable to go ahead with the litter pick - mainly due to so many children coming to be involved.

City councillors Lynne Stagg and Darren Sanders were welcomed to the first workshop, which was held with the older students.

Westover pupils excited to about the workshop. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Westover pupils excited to about the workshop. Picture: Habibur Rahman

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Ross, who had set up the event along with headteacher Ruth Worswick, talked to the council representatives about the plans they have for the future.

The dad also said that the older students at the first workshop at 10am had a great ‘level of engagement, communication, and knowledge of what Rebecca and Tommy, from BambuuBrush, were talking about which was brilliant and understood what they were saying about the welfare of animals in the sea when it related to plastic.’

He added that the school has decided to have students ‘bring in any plastics, old Chinese takeaway packaging, old water bottles, anything plastic related that they’re thinking of chucking away, so that they can use it to recycle the plastic to make cool things like park benches, basketball hoops, tables to have their lunches on, anything the school wants to help further their education.’

The plastic awareness workshop. Picture: Habibur Rahman

The plastic awareness workshop. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Ross is hoping that this could lead to them being able to do far more in recycling plastic and saving the planet, and that he is currently ‘speaking to council about making a skatepark out of plastic’, if they are able to recycle enough.

This project would be undertaken with the help of BambuuBrush, which has already done a similar thing in America.

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Ross said he is hoping that he can make Portsmouth become the first ‘island city to have a fully recycled skatepark made out of plastic’.

Organiser Ross Needham, head teacher - Ruth Worswick, Rebecca Dudbridge and Tommie Eaton from Bambuubrush, Cllr Darren Sanders and Cllr Lynne Stagg with Westover pupils and their Babuubrush toothbrushes. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Organiser Ross Needham, head teacher - Ruth Worswick, Rebecca Dudbridge and Tommie Eaton from Bambuubrush, Cllr Darren Sanders and Cllr Lynne Stagg with Westover pupils and their Babuubrush toothbrushes. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Despite not being able to do the litter pick, Ross said that the overall event ‘was brilliant’ and ‘both workshops were overall amazing’.

He added: ‘I couldn't do it without Ruth Worswick, Westover School’s staff members, Rebecca and Tommy from BambuuBrush and Lynne [Stagg] and Darren [Sanders] from the council’.

All those who attended the event were given a sustainable bamboo toothbrush.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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