Ipswich Borough Council is delivering free air quality workshops in schools as part of this year’s Clean Air Day campaign.
Air Quality officers will be visiting St Mary’s, The Willows, Cliff Lane, Castle Hill and St Pancras over the coming weeks to help raise awareness of the importance of improved air quality and the small steps we can take to reduce air pollution.
During these workshops, children will learn about the sources of air pollution around schools, how air pollution affects them and what they can do to improve local air quality and protect themselves from pollution. Some of the schools will also work with officers to run educational anti-idling events to talk to drivers outside their schools about the importance of switching off their engines when parked.
Officers will also be delivering a talk to parents and nursey children at Castle Hill Community Centre and hosting a ‘lunch and learn’ event for the Ipswich & East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group.
Clean Air Day takes place on 17th June and is the UK’s biggest air pollution campaign.
Jenny McGhee Wallace, Key Stage 2 Leader at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, said: “Andy and the team at Environmental Health have been working with us for a few years now. They have brought what could be a dry subject, Clean Air, to life for our pupils. Their presentations are engaging, educational and well-pitched. It’s been such a success that we invite them back each year.”
Councillor Alasdair Ross, Community Protection portfolio-holder, said: “This is a great opportunity for children, parents and businesses to find out more about air pollution and discover how they can help support the Council’s clean air activities. Everybody can have a positive impact on air quality and we want to inspire everyone to understand what they can do to reduce air pollution and limit its impact on their health and that of others.”
It’s not too late to sign up, if your school, nursery or business would like to get involved please contact Ipswich Borough Council’s Environmental Health team at environmental.health@ipswich.gov.uk. Workshops can be delivered in-person or virtually and are available throughout June.
