Milne's Primary litter pickers awarded cash boost
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FIGHTING the scourge of litter in Fochabers has been handed a three-figure boost thanks to a major environmental charity.
Milne’s Primary School has been awarded £200 to help continue them their efforts to combat litter.
The school is one of just a couple of dozen or so across Scotland which have been selected to receive the grant from Keep Scotland Beautiful to help pupils tackle what the charity described as “the looming litter emergency”.
Part of the international Litter Less campaign, the cash awards are intended support the development and implementation of campaigns in the participating schools and wider community to tackle litter.
One of those delighted with the grant award was Milne’s headteacher Kim Karam.
She said: “Milne’s Primary is delighted to be one of 25 schools in Scotland chosen to receive this £200 grant.
“We have always been an Eco friendly school and this money will allow us to buy more litter pickers and resources to support this part of our Eco curriculum.
“We are so lucky to live and learn in such beautiful surroundings. Our pupils enjoy playing their part in ensuring our environment remains a safe and clean area for people and animals.
“Milne’s Primary would like everyone to use the local bins and not to drop litter. We hope the litter levels remain as low as they have been during lockdown.”
Moray Council’s education chairwoman Councillor Sonya Warren congratulated the school.
"This is excellent news, both for Milne's Primary and the local community, especially as they are one of only a few schools across Scotland which have been selected," she continued.
"It's a testament to the hard work they are all doing on this very important matter and they are a wonderful example to us all.
"Moray schools have an excellent record in environmental awareness and taking that into their communities for the benefit of everyone."
Local councillors Shona Morrison, Marc Macrae and Dave Bremner welcomed the news of the grant.
Councillor Morrison said: "It's great to see Milne’s Primary School taking part in this initiative and I look forward to see what projects they decide to implement with the money.
"It will be a real case of thinking outside the box...but I am in no doubt that the pupils will rise to the challenge.
Councillor Macrae commented: I was delighted to hear that Milne’s Primary had been awarded this grant as I know the pupils take a very keen interest in both the community and the environment.
“I very much look forward to seeing how their campaigns develop and hope that others in the village can follow the example being set by our youngsters to keep Fochabers and indeed Moray litter free.”
Councillor Bremner added: "Congratulations to Milne’s Primary on their award from the Litter Less campaign.
"Litter is a blight on our beautiful country and it is great to see young people stepping up and helping to eliminate it.
"I look forward to seeing the results of their campaign as they work towards achieving their international Eco-Schools Green Flag Award."
Litter Less is an annual campaign led by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful on behalf of the Foundation of Environmental Education (FEE) and sponsored by the Wrigley Company Foundation.
It runs in 15 countries worldwide, including Scotland, and supports over 1.3 million children and over 20,000 educators to improve and enhance the places they love in their own villages, towns and cities by campaigning to stop litter.
This is the ninth year that Keep Scotland Beautiful has run the campaign, and in that time, £56,000 of support has been provided to 244 Scottish schools helping them, to become more litter-ate and to purchase litter picking equipment and bins. In addition, more than, 4000 educators and 50,000 children and young people have been involved across Scotland.
The Litter Less campaign will support the participating schools to work towards achieving their international Eco-Schools Green Flag Award.
