Green primary school receives a £133,000 Government grant cash

Kirkby la Thorpe CofE Primary Academy have been awarded a grant from the £1billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to fund a low carbon and sustainability project, which involved installing an air source heat pump, energy efficient hand dryers, energy monitoring and management systems.

The grants are given out to fund heat, decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures and the Green-thinking school, which has previously received an Eco-Schools Green Flag Award, convinced the grant body despite stiff competition for the money from across the country.

Headteacher Katie Gravil said: “Our ultimate goal is to improve our carbon footprint and achieve Net Zero, which is why we have already installed Solar PV and upgraded our lighting to LED. The grant has allowed us to advance our efforts even more so, and move away from a fossil-fuelled heating system, in order to become even more efficient. We are really happy with the end results.”

The 21.54 tonnes of carbon saved, are equivalent to planting 147 trees. The primary school will also benefit financially from the project, saving £1,177 annually, on their heating bills.

UK Energy Watch Group, a specialist energy consultancy based in Lancashire, helped the school, carrying out the feasibility study, grant application, contractor tender procurement, project management and ongoing energy monitoring.

HVAC Technical Solutions were appointed to install the system and stripped out the old plant room, radiators and additional electrical works.

Ashley Bullock, managing director at UK Energy Watch Group, added: “As a long-standing client of ours, Kirkby la Thorpe understand the crucial role they play in educating their staff and students of the importance of improving their carbon footprint.

“Now they have done their part to make a difference in the world’s global climate change mission, and as a by-product, they have saved money which is a win-win for them and the environment.”