We were delighted to sponsor the Friend of the Earth Award for the third year running at the #BelgraviaAwards last night. Thank you to Belgravia Magazine for an unforgettable evening at The Peninsula Hotel.
As eloquently described by the special guest host and leading British actor, Freddie Fox, the Belgravia Awards celebrates ‘a special and beautiful legacy of a special and beautiful place’, and it is a pleasure to be able to recognise and celebrate the strides being made in sustainability by businesses in our amazing local community. Our Head, Alexandra Haydon, presented the award to the worthy winner, Belgravia Dental Care, who were crowned winners for their impressive reduction of plastic use and other innovative sustainable practices. Huge congratulations to Belgravia Dental Care, the two other shortlisted nominees, Grosvenor gardening team and Angela Montebello at The Hari, London, and all the other shortlisted nominees and award winners.
Promoting sustainable practices and educating our pupils about sustainability could not be more important to us at FHS, and sustainability is one of our five core purposes at Francis Holland Schools (FHS Trust).
A highlight of our sustainability programme, running for this entire academic year, is our Creative Perspectives on Climate Change project in collaboration with Cape Farewell and local partner schools. The challenge to understand climate change, to educate ourselves about climate change, to reduce climate challenge is not just a political problem, or a scientific problem – it cuts across every subject that we study at FHS – literature, arts, maths, geography, history. The purpose of the project is to get all the girls involved and thinking – really thinking deeply – and producing their own work in response. This builds upon the foundations of a long held emphasis on creative thinking, problem-solving and innovation at Francis Holland.
We also hold a variety of other pupil and staff-led sustainability practices and initiatives, with highlights over the last year including have two Walk-to-School Weeks in October and May; a Fast Fashion Free Week in February; and a Sustainable Food Week in June. In all of them, through talks and activities, we try to educate the girls about the impacts of travelling, dressing and eating unsustainably – and to promote positive alternatives such walking and cycling, second-hand clothes and plant-based meals.
Photo credit: Edward Lloyd Photography
