A Sefton school looks climate change in the eye by going green

A Sefton school has taken a stance against climate change by organising a week of communal action to raise funds for a fairer world.  

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School in #Seaforth has rallied together to host a ‘Week of Wonder’ in solidarity with the national Eyes of the World campaign, aiming to help fight the climate crisis.

The Eyes of the World campaign, launched by international development charity CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development), has called upon young people to lobby the UK Government to ensure that the world’s poorest communities are at the heart of discussions amongst world leaders at the upcoming COP26 climate conference.  

Motivated by both CAFOD’s campaign and Pope Francis’ call to care for our common home, staff and pupils at the Liverpool school embraced a series of environmentally conscious activities in an effort to encourage action against the climate crisis.

Beginning with a mass commitment to fulfil individual eco pledges, the Week of Wonder went on to educate pupils about composting and recycling, prompting a commendable litter-picking effort in the surrounding community as well as giving students the chance to swap and regift preloved toys.

The week reached its pinnacle following the delivery of a virtual Eyes of the World workshop by CAFOD volunteers, encouraging pupils to draw pairs of eyes to show the government that the world is watching them- a challenge which Our Lady Star of the Sea immediately took up.

Inspired by CAFOD’s message of support to the world’s most vulnerable communities affected by the climate crisis, Sophia a student from Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School, epitomised the altruistic essence of the Week of Wonder:

‘‘I enjoyed the Eyes of the World workshop because it taught me so much about what is happening in the world. It also made me realise that we CAN do more than we think to try and stop climate change”, said Sophia.

Eager to raise funds as well as awareness in the fight against climate change, the Seaforth school organised a ‘Wear it Green’ fundraising event; a feat that saw the whole school dress in green for one day.

This ingenious fundraising response resulted in an admirable total of £124 raised towards CAFOD’s ongoing development work, to aid those already being affected by climate change around the world.

Debbie Crockwell, a teacher at Our Lady Star of the Sea, was keen to comment on the powerful impact that the Eyes of the World campaign had on the school’s attitude to climate change:

“The children were so enthusiastic about CAFOD’s campaign for Eyes of the World!’

‘‘A huge thank you to CAFOD for coming in and to our Eco Council for helping to organize our Week of Wonder. Our Lady Star of the Sea’s eyes are most definitely watching!’’, she said.

Supporting local schools with their involvement in the Eyes of the World campaign, CAFOD representative Siobhan Farnell expresses her gratitude to the staff and pupils at Our Lady Star of the Sea, for their wholehearted commitment to making a difference in their school and wider community:

‘‘We were thrilled to hear about Our Lady Star of the Sea’s Week of Wonder and delighted the CAFOD training was a catalyst for inspiring the school to undertake such positive actions.  

‘‘We also congratulate the school as they have recently been awarded the CAFOD Laudato Si Award recognising their ‘live wisely, think deeply and love generously’ approach.

‘‘We are grateful for the fundraising which will support our sisters and brothers overseas who are facing poverty and extreme difficulty due to the effects of the climate crisis. It’s wonderful to see the young people make a difference through their own charitable actions,’’ says Siobhan.

• The banner will travel to 15 landmarks across the UK, including Houses of Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and Blackpool Tower- reaching its final destination in Glasgow at the UN climate conference, COP26.

• So far, over 12,000 pupils have joined CAFOD’s ‘Eyes of the World’ campaign. You can see the full total here.

• CAFOD is the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, and part of Caritas International. We reach out to people living in poverty with practical help, whatever their religion or culture. Help us build a world where no one is beyond reach of the love and care they need.