We are always excited to discover inspiring stories involving young individuals!

This blog post is from Omar, an Environmental Award winner who has a passion for gardening!

About Me

Hi, my name is Omar, and I am a student at Eastbrook School, I never thought I’d win an award for something I’m so passionate about, but I’m incredibly proud to be the recipient of the Environmental Jack Petchey Award! My journey started with a simple idea: reducing food waste and using it to create something beneficial for our school and community.

What Inspired My Passion for Sustainability?

Homegrown tomatoes

I have always been interested in sustainability and wanted to find a way to make a real difference – after all, like MJ said “if you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change”.

So, one day at school, I thought, “How can I make a change what will benefit the community around me?” I noticed how much food waste was being thrown away, and it made me think: What if we could use that waste to grow our own ingredients? That’s when I came up with the idea of building a compost site and growing a herb and vegetable garden at Eastbrook. This wouldn’t just benefit our school, but it could also encourage students to become more environmentally aware and take part in a long-term sustainable project.

Building a Composting Site

Right now, we have had the luxury of the local council coming to discuss ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. With the support of my teachers and members of Junior Leadership, I’ve been researching the best ways to set up a composting system that can turn food waste into something useful. With the funding from the Jack Petchey Environmental Award, we’ll be able to fully set up the composting site, collect vegetable peelings, fruit scraps and other organic waste from the food department to create the compost for our future garden.

My Gardening Club Project and Community Garden Week

Homegrown beetroots

My long-term vision is to create a gardening club where students can spend their break or lunch taking care of the plants and learning about sustainability firsthand. This project ties in perfectly with Community Garden Week, which celebrates the importance of shared green spaces and how they bring people together. By working on this project as a team, we can create a thriving garden that not only benefits our school but also helps the wider community by teaching practical skills and the importance of reducing waste.

How to Overcome Obstacles

Of course, there have been challenges. Not everyone is convinced that composting and gardening will work in a school environment, but I believe that with teamwork and dedication, I can make that happen. My goal is to start small, test out the composting process, and then gradually build up to planning our first seeds. Luckily, I have had a lot of practice growing vegetables at home and can see that I truly do have green thumbs.

My Plans for the Future

Winning the Jack Petchey Environmental Award has been an amazing experience, and it has motivated me even more to push forward with this project. It shows that young people can have a real impact when they take action. My hope is that this project inspires more young people to think about the impact they can have on their community and how even small changes can make a big difference.

To anyone who has a similar goal – just give it your all and know that failure can’t stop you; only giving up can. Keep going, and you never know what you might achieve!

Thanks to everyone who has supported me so far, and I cannot wait to see how far this vision take me!

If you are interested in sharing your Achievement Award story, send an email to pr@jackpetchey.org.uk.

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