Tollesbury Primary School raises £250,000 for climate scheme

Tollesbury Climate Partnership has reached its extended target of £250,000 as part of its community share offer which will fund the decarbonisation of Tollesbury Primary School.

This will save the school £14,000 per year on energy bills, rising to £38,000 after ten years, therefore freeing up funds for the school.

A total of 64 per cent of the funds came from individuals and businesses in Maldon.

Essex County Council has announced aims for the region to become carbon net zero by 2030 and through a mix of grant funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and the TCP share offer, the school will be able to improve the fabric of its building to reduce the energy requirement and therefore its carbon footprint.

Some of the work that will be carried out includes replacing all windows with double glazing, adding loft insulation, LED lighting throughout the school and a modern ground source heat pump, and installing a a 68kW solar PV array.

Kate Garnett, headteacher at Tollesbury Primary School, said: “We are so grateful for the investment from our community both near and far.

“This project has been a chance for us to put Essex on the map for making history across the UK and will enable us to invest back into the education of our children who have been at the heart of the school for over 100 years.

“As a local authority-run school, we don’t always have access to the funds we need and with the rising cost of living, we have become even more mindful of the financial benefits of cutting energy costs, taking environmental responsibility, and protecting the future for the next generation.

“It has been important to us to include the pupils of Tollesbury Primary School in this project from the beginning.

“From the children learning about how we are raising funds to them seeing the physical work that will improve their school, this project is an important educational tool when it comes to carbon literacy.”