Parents Building the Future we Want

Parents Building the Future we Want is a parent lead, community capacity building project, supporting a Whole School Approach to sustainability.

Our Parent Association (PA) put an organisational approach to sustainability at the heart of its operation and stepped up to help our school become a hub of sustainability action and knowledge.

The work is evolving every year as the community learns together. So far this work has resulted in:

Governance
*.  The co-creation & donation of a strategic approach to sustainability at school, with management tools and ongoing support for school leaders 
*.  Application of this approach to the Association and Board of Governor duties where possible.
*    Formation of a multi-stakeholder eco-committee enabling all stakeholders to share problems and solutions in a warm and collaborative environment.

Communication
*   School focus on improving communications, regular beautiful newsletters produced by teaching staff working together
*.  New Parent Association website + sustainability pages, WhatsApp community & group, interschool FB group and padlet sharing action.

Education
*.  Sustainability education & expertise made available to all stakeholder groupings, building capacity for agency and action at all levels.
 
Connection
*. Parent Association focus on community building and creating connection within and between stakeholders. Monthly meetings, events and informal gatherings.
*.  Outreach & networking with sister schools and Board of Governors representatives

Footprint
* PA ambition and action to help school community lower collective footprint:

Waste and Circular:
    4-6 annual swapping events 
    Plogging events
    Pay for community swapping app

Food and Gardens:
    Co-funded water fountain & a water harvesting system 
    Funded & planting 1500 bulbs 
    Food waste-saving expert gives classroom talks & parent food boxes

Energy and Transport:
•    Organise ‘Walk to School Week’ &‘Forest Walk Fridays’

The potential for impactful action grows year on year. We are very happy to share our work with this group, and hope to meet other education stakeholders working on similar capacity building projects!