1000th School Visit

1000th School Visit On the 5th June 2008 Bryson Charitable Group made it’s 1000th visit to local schools wishing to participate in their innovative waste reduction programme designed to educate young people on the benefits of recycling for their local environment.

During the 1000th ‘Sort it Out!’ school visit, pupils from Strand Primary School in east Belfast Pupils presented a special drama about the depletion of natural resources in the world’s rainforests and the importance of ‘reducing, reusing and recycling’ to combat this problem.

Speaking during the visit, Bryson Charitable Group Chief Executive John McMullan said that the Sort it Out! campaign played a crucial role in raising pupils’ understanding of recycling issues and their respect for the environment:

“Bryson have been providing education programmes to schools across Northern Ireland for more than 20 years. The 'Sort it Out!' programme is crucial in educating our children about waste minimisation, something that not only impacts on our planet, but also our local environment. Through the programme and the website we aim to influence behavioural change that will impact not only on the children in school, but also their families and community.

I would encourage more schools across Northern Ireland to use the Sort it Out! programme and bring the ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ message into the classroom.” Said Mr McMullan.

For the 1000th visit the pupils and teachers were joined by then Minister for the Environment Arlene Foster. The programme has been part-funded through the Environment & Heritage Service Community Waste Innovation Fund. The Minister commended the efforts of pupils in their methods of waste reduction and congratulated the Charity for its education programme and website.

The ‘Sort it Out!’ programme has become a key tool for schools in delivering ‘Education for Sustainable Development’, a statutory element within the Curriculum, and it also assists schools seeking to achieve Eco-School Flag status and as well as those developing their own waste minimisation programmes.