If you could plan for a cleaner, greener community, what changes would you make?
Students in Year 8 at Lord Williams’s School in Thame had that opportunity this week when they worked with over 30 members from the RSA Thame Group and other local community representatives to design a green living plan for their area. Working in small groups, students assessed their own local communities in terms of four environmental factors:
- Reducing air pollution
- Amount and quality of green space
- Safe access routes through the community for people and wildlife
- The problem of waste and opportunities for recycling.
Tutors noted how students engaged in the learning and practical nature of the activities. One student commented: ‘It’s been fun to do it with my friends and I learnt about the threats to the environment such as pollution’.
Towards the end of 2018, Thame residents were consulted on the draft Green Living Plan produced by the RSA Thame Group on behalf of Thame Town Council. The plan will be closely linked with the Thame Neighbourhood Plan to ensure that development is sympathetic to our environment and conducive to a healthy town and community. Charles Boundy spoke on behalf of the RSA Thame Group:
“I’m delighted to have had the chance to introduce the Green Living Plan for Thame to the students at Lord Williams’s School. The RSA Thame Group is looking forward to reviewing the ideas of the Year 8 groups in developing specific proposals for us to take forward. As Thame and its surrounding communities continue to expand, the chosen school focus areas of clean air, green spaces, safe routes and a better approach to waste have never been more important – for all of us and especially the students who are our future.”
In addition to supporting the Year 8 session, representatives from the Town Council also supported the Year 10's Cattle Market site redesign project and the Year 11's session focused on unaccompanied refugee children and immigration issues in a local context.
