Redbridge Eco Skills Festival for green-minded students praised by London’s Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy

Redbridge students passionate about their local environment were at the heart of a recent Eco Skills Festival to help shape a greener borough.

The Eco Skills Festival 2024 - hosted under Redbridge Council’s Youth Climate and Sustainability Forum – brought together students from 11 local schools to take part in the interactive event and included opportunities to meet environmental experts and the Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy, Mete Coban MBE

Aimed at young people interested in tackling climate change, or who were already leading advocates in their school for greener living, the action-packed Eco-Skills Festival gave students the chance to share green achievements and ideas, whilst broadening their skills and knowledge through workshop activities and discussions.

Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy, Mete Coban MBE, also gave an empowering talk on caring for the environment, further inspiring students to continue championing greener living in the borough.

Speaking about the event, Mr Coban said: “The Youth Climate Forum is a great platform for young people to help encourage their borough to become greener and cleaner. This event was a fantastic example of why it’s vital that we work with young Londoners to build a sustainable future and support them to be ambassadors in their schools and homes, as we work together to build a better and greener London for everyone.”

The whole day event took place at Redbridge Central Library in November and kicked off with a welcome by Redbridge’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Jo Blackman, followed by an opening speech from the Leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Kam Rai.

As well as opportunities to network at the Forum, students also participated in activities and workshops run by individuals and organisations involved in environmental work.

It included a Team Repair Workshop demonstrating repair skills to encourage fixing, instead of discarding, broken items. It was all hands-on deck as the students repaired a pocket microscope as part of the interactive workshop.

Other workshops included:

• Creative sessions encouraging students to express, through art, their thoughts on the climate crisis
• A biodiversity workshop hosted by the Royal Horticultural Society exploring how plants can benefit and protect the environment
• Cookery classes incorporating tips and advice on how to reduce food waste, hosted by Mercato Metropolitano
• Learning basic bike repairs, and sewing with Sew London, to encourage repairing and reusing items

Among the students taking part in the workshops was Ariana da Silvas Gomes, from The Forest Academy in Hainault. Ariana, aged 14, said: “I really enjoyed the cooking activity where we made Japanese dumplings because we all got together and cooked with a chef. These activities helped with my teamwork and problem-solving skills. I really enjoyed meeting people and making friends that are in my borough that shared the same passion for the environment. I am also thankful for the opportunity given and loved experiencing this workshop”.

Leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Kam Rai added: “It was really inspired to meet lots of local students passionately engaging with all the workshops, activities and discussions that took place on the day. Young people are acutely aware of the challenges facing the planet and the legacy we are leaving them, so it is critical that we put them are at the heart of this work and give them a key role in shaping our priorities.

“Everyone has a role to play in tackling climate change, not just our young people. We can all do our bit by reducing waste, recycling more and repairing and re-using items, which can cut down on landfill and reduce the environmental impact of producing new items.”

Redbridge’s Youth Climate and Sustainability Forum is an extension of the Council’s on-going work with local communities, including its young people, to tackle the climate emergency, and create a greener and more biodiverse borough to live in. Find out more: https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/about-the-council/climate-change/

It also supports the borough’s work towards becoming a UNICEF UK recognised child friendly borough. Redbridge partnered with the global children’s charity under their Child Friendly Cities & Communities initiative to make the borough a child friendly community.

The global programme encourages local services to commit to fulfilling children’s rights. The aim is to create a city or community where the voices, needs, priorities, and the rights of children play an integral part in public policies, programmes, and decision-making processes.

Find out more about Child Friendly Redbridge: https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/childfriendly/

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