Each year, the Mayor has the opportunity to devise a different challenge, to engage with young people and schools. For this year’s Mayor’s Challenge, Cllr John Perks, Mayor of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, would like schools and young people to plant trees and learn about the importance of trees for the environment.
Trees provide numerous benefits to our eco system Including absorbing harmful gases, providing shelter, supporting pollination and improving our health and wellbeing.
The Mayor is challenging young people to carry out a project or exercise combining tree planting and learning about nature and our eco systems. This could include:
• Purchase of trees to create or expand a school garden
• Equipment for school to plant trees and for gardening
• Purchase of resources for school council or eco groups
Schools are eligible to apply for funding of up to £700 to undertake the project.
Cllr John Perks said: “As Mayor, I am involved in and have been able to visit many of the green spaces across the Town which are supported by teams of amazing volunteers who are vital to their protection and upkeep.
It is important that we encourage young people, from an early age, to engage in similar activities and therefore I am tasking schools to support students to plant trees on their school sites.
I hope that the benefits of this challenge go beyond my time as Mayor, and I am excited to see projects undertaken by our local schools”.
To apply for the 202/25 Mayor’s Challenge, each primary school should complete the application form they have received in the post and via email, setting out their ideas about how they would use their £700.
Deadline for all applications is Friday 20th December 2024 with grants being awarded in early January 2025.