Harrow College students have taken part in a week-long series of activities and events aimed at increasing their awareness of sustainability.
Sustainability Week was held at Harrow College’s Harrow on the Hill and Harrow Weald campuses from Monday 23 March to Friday 27 March.
Throughout the week, students from Harrow College had the opportunity to learn about living in a sustainable planet.
Students were given the opportunity to discuss environmental issues with members from Brent Campaign Against Climate Change, learn about local produce, as well as sourcing food supplies responsibly from a food farm.
Martin Francis, from Brent Campaign Against Climate Change, said: “It’s so important to speak to young people about the issues concerning our planet. They are a generation that have it within their power to consume less. They are inheriting a planet with many problems, but they can still be part of the solution to save it.”
During the week, students also took part in cycling activities where they tried out new bikes and were shown demonstrations in cycling safely.
There were also various stalls offering advice and information about beekeeping, waste reduction and water usage and innovative ways for students to recycle.
Students also took part in an eco-friendly event that allowed them to update their wardrobe without spending any money. The ‘Swish’ event, held in partnership with West London Waste, gave staff and students the chance swap their unwanted clothes for someone else’s. Those taking part in event were also asked to donate money to the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Sandie Petrie, enrichment co-ordinator at Harrow College and organiser of the Swish event, said: “The intention of the Swish was to make people aware of the number of clothes that are sent to landfill and to think about other creative ways to recycle unwanted clothes.”
Jacki Staal, estates and environmental co-ordinator and organiser of Sustainability Week, added: “Sustainability Week is aimed at raising student and staff awareness of why and how we can preserve our planet’s precious resources. These will not last forever and we all need to do more to reduce waste, as well as re-using and re-cycling all sorts of things, from clothing to cans, bottles to plastic bags, and batteries to paper. The aim is for this to become part of everyday life, not just a in a week dedicated to sustainability, so our children and grandchildren will have power, water and fuel in the future. We have one planet, let’s take care of it."