Greensand Champions previous winners Greensand Champions are young people who, on their own or as part of a group, are doing amazing things for the Greensand Country Environment. They are inspiring and enthusiastic young people with a passion for positive environmental change and we'd like to share and celebrate their actions with you! Greensand Champions 2023/2024 Winner: Aspley Guise Village School Eco Team The children of the school are committed to improving their school and local environment, focusing on healthy living, reducing energy consumption and supporting our oceans. They have organised several activities to promote healthy living, including joining Street Tag, a Santa Dash and have written songs about healthy living. They have created stickers around the school to promote reducing energy consumption, and every week they check on how classes are doing. They also ran a competition to see how much they could reduce their use of plastics. Greensand Champions 2023/2024 Runners Up: Flitwick Scout Group They attended the Student Cop2 event run by the Ampthill Climate Change Group as well as helping with environmental projects around Flitwick, such as building bird boxes to put up in Flitwick Manor Park and assisting with creating wildflower areas. Josie Walden Josie started to volunteer by litter picking every week in her local area. This also includes maintaining the local brook, clearing it of debris to ensure that the water environment is better for aquatic life. On a personal level, Josie has found being outside a great way to boost her development and wellbeing. Keira and Thea Stolber They have volunteered to help the environment in a variety of ways, including recycling, litter picking, reducing water consumption, and planting pollinator-friendly species in the garden. They also took part in the Great Garden Bird Watch, recording the birdlife they saw in their local area. 2nd Linslade Brownies The Brownies supported tree planting with the help of the Friends of Tiddenfoot group, as part of the Queen's Green Canopy Memorial Fund. Wildlife Trust Youth Rangers Youth Rangers got involved in a variety of conservation tasks at sites in Greensand Country, such as scrub clearance at Cooper's Hill and Flitwick Moor. They have also worked with staff to record species, tree planting and maintenance of Wildlife Trust nature reserves across the area. They also held a stall at the Student Cop2 event to showcase what they were doing. Harlington Upper School They have created a gardening club that has established a wildflower meadow, learning about native grassland species. They have also helped out in the community as part of Harlington in Bloom and have undertaken tree planting to begin to offset the school's carbon emissions. Gravenhurst Pre-School Children at the Pre-School have a substantial programme of environmental activities, including creating bug hotels, recycling, composting, recording local wildlife and fundraising to install energy saving devices. Justin Milne Justin volunteers with Share Flitwick and Ampthill: Library of Things and has supported the Ampthill Buzz project by carrying out plant and insect surveys and collecting the views of local people. Justin also volunteered at the Knepp estate, outside of Greensand Country, and is an active member of the Redborne Environmental Group (last year's winners!) The 2022/23 Ultimate Winner - Redborne Environmental Group! Our judges have assessed all entries and we are now delighted to announce the overall winner and and our ultimate Greensand Champion 2022 is REDBORNE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP! Run by staff members, Claire Bassett and Mark Brockway at Redborne Upper School, the Environmental Group has a student membership of more than ten mostly Year 11 students. The group has been active in getting outdoors and engaging in local environmental conservation work in Ampthill and Flitwick. Our congratulations also to all those shortlisted in this year's scheme - here they are: Flitwick Scout Group The group has undertaken a number of volunteering projects to help young people engage with local nature and learn about growing plants. Most recently, Flitwick Cubs, Scouts and leaders took part in helping to plant 2,000 blackthorn, hawthorn and hazel trees at Bromham Scout Campsite as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee. Swallowfield Lower School For 10 years, the school’s Eco-Committee, with members from each year, has shared ideas to and from their peers. The volunteers have been gardening in the polytunnel, planting the wildlife area, composting fruit waste, collecting recycling, monitoring school energy use, and have participated in Switch Off Fortnight and Waste Week. Barnabas Oley C of E Primary School As a school, Barnabas Oley has an Eco-Friendly Ethos and encourages pupils to recycle. The school uses different teaching methods, which include the importance of insects, plants, trees and pretty much the whole eco system and how they impact our environment. With this in mind, the school collects empty crisp packets, used batteries and ink cartridges and it sends these off to be recycled. Olly and Zac Knibbs Olly and Zac have been volunteering to make a difference to the area of Greensand Country on their walk to school each day. They have taken the time to pick up litter and learn about the landscape they walk through. This has helped to keep the local area tidy and ensure that the waste is correctly sorted. Congratulations to Clophill Preschool - the ultimate winners of the 2020/21 Greensand Champions Scheme! The Ultimate Winner 2021 - Clophill Preschool! Our judges assessed all entries and our ultimate Greensand Champion 2021 was CLOPHILL PRESCHOOL! Our congratulations to the children, but also to the helpers and parents at Clophill Preschool who support and encourage the children on their journey, incorporating care for the environment into everything they do. Imogen Godfrey from Clophill Preschool who sent in the entry said: We are a setting that values the contribution nature and our local environment make to the wellbeing, mental health and education of our children and we promote the care of the environment in all that we do. Children at Clophill Preschool are pictured making pine cone bird feeders and planting seeds in their allotment. 2021 Greensand Champions Hall of Fame Our congratulations go to all those shortlisted in this year's scheme - here they are: Maulden Lower School’s Hedgehog class Maulden Lower School’s Hedgehog class are Greensand Champions for helping to restore rare heathland habitat with The Greensand Trust over a number of years. They’ve scattered new heather seeds, pulled out weeds and learnt about reptiles. Well done Hedgehog class! Flit Vale Watch Group and Youth Rangers The Flit Vale Watch Group and Youth Rangers are based in and around the Ampthill and Flitwick area, in the heart of Greensand Country. They have supported different practical conservation projects, helped record and monitor wildlife and they’re not afraid to get stuck in to any activities to help wildlife or habitats in need. Great Job Flit Vale Watch group - you are all Greensand Champions! Heath and Reach Toad Patrol The Heath and Reach Toad Patrol volunteers help amphibians across a busy road to their breeding pond and back every spring. The young people and their families have been seen for many years with buckets (and torches) carefully rescuing toads, frogs and newts from danger. We're sure the amphibians would join us in congratulating these amazing Greensand Champions. Green & Clean Group The Green & Clean Group in Leighton Buzzard are also known as Izzie (pictured), Maddie, Sophie and Cassidy. The four inspirational friends are definitely Greensand Champions for taking the initiative during lockdown by safely litter picking their local greenspaces, helping both people and wildlife. Congratulations girls, you're showing us what’s possible right on our doorsteps! Rushmere Park Academy and Nursery Children at the Rushmere Park Academy and Nursery are all Greensand Champions for using their wonderful school grounds as part of their everyday activities and encouraging wildlife of different kinds - pictured here are birdfeeders they made. They reduce, reuse, recycle and look after the pond and garden to help animals and keep learning – good news for everyone. Southcott Lower School Southcott Lower School in Linslade has a great environmental area with a brilliant Bug Hotel created by KS2 children and their families. These Greensand Champions recycled and re-used materials to build the hotel themselves and then shared ideas for wildlife friendly activities with others in school on social media as well. Great effort, we hope some minibeasts have moved in! Clophill Preschool We think children at the Clophill Preschool are also Greensand Champions of our environment in all their playing and learning. They refill water bottles, compost waste and collect rainwater to save resources and look out for wildlife on their local walks when they’re not busy growing fruit and vegetables to eat on their allotment. Great fun – well done! More about Greensand Champions The Greensand Country Landscape Partnership is led by the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity and local environment charity, The Greensand Trust, and is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is made possible by National Lottery players; without them we couldn’t fund the project. Manage Cookie Preferences