Innovative and passionate Bury students have become "climate champions" after winning a BBC prize.
Pupils from The Derby High School set up a "Changemakers" group in efforts to reduce the school’s carbon emissions.
With the help of a decommissioned yellow school bus, pupils have surpassed expectations and made their school proud.
They have now won The BBC Regenerators Award.
Assistant head teacher at the Radcliffe Road school, Lynn Provoost, said: “At The Derby High School, we have a number of different groups and organisations that young people take responsibility for.
“The changemakers was a project that we ran as part of the great science share for schools where we were asked to try to reduce our carbon emissions in one year, one of the things that we did was apply for a decommissioned yellow school bus.”
The carbon-neutral "Sustain bus" uses solar panels for power and acts as a space for the student newspaper, sustainability workshops and The Derby High Radio.
Emily Bower, 13, said: “Getting a decommissioned school bus was hard enough because we had to put bids in for it and as soon as we got it, we had to recommission it so it was available for student use.
“It was something that you can always say my hard work has gone into having that there.
"I felt like I was going to cry.”
Areeba Malik, 13, added: “At our school I don't think anyone gives up that easily.
“We want to do workshops in the bus to help us to teach young kids about how they can make a difference in their community and inspire them because in the end, they are the future.”
In future, there are plans for the bus to promote climate activism by holding educational workshops for primary schools on how they can combat climate change.
We are incredibly proud to announce that we have won The BBC Regenerators Award. Find out about our award here: https://t.co/mbwyrlg5bh. @Heywoodharriet_ newsdesk@men-news.co.uk
— The Derby High, Bury (@derbyhighbury) September 26, 2022
Ms Provoost said: “It was really rewarding to see students take initiative and run with it.
“They were able to project manage the whole thing themselves, they were organising meetings with local MPs, speaking at the parents and local businesses too.
“They came up with all the different ideas I just help them facilitate.”
Wilbur Lomax, 13, said: “I was really excited to be helping shape so many other people's futures but it was hard.
“Obviously it's a really expensive project and it was nerve-wracking because we didn't know if we were going to be able to get the funding or not.”
Whilst fundraising, a community donor offered to pay for the solar panels on the bus on one condition, the school had to be waste free for one week.
Aiden Garford, 13 said: “It wasn’t easy trying to get zero waste but, in true Derby high school spirit, we kept calm carried on and stayed resilient all the way through.
“We've inspired other schools to get buses of their own and if you want to start protecting the planet and there's so much you can do."
Ms Provoost added: “They have surpassed my expectations every step even on the darkest days when things have gone wrong they've been positive resilient and come back stronger every day.”
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