Lake District kids get creative in fight for climate justice

The children from Grasmere School & Nursery have been working on a project called Get Creative for Climate Justice.

The initiative is a partnership between CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Save the Children and Send My Friend to School, with support from the Climate Coalition, and is aimed at celebrating and amplifying young people’s voices on the climate crisis.

Headteacher Jo Goode said: “The thinking process has been really helpful to the children – clarifying their ideas and giving them a voice.

"The global situation can feel rather hopeless to children sometimes, and this project has been great because it has really given them an opportunity to be heard."

The exhibition is at St Oswald's Church until December (Image: Jonathan Smith)

As part of the scheme, children are asked to come up with artistic ways of sharing their opinions about climate change and their hopes for the planet.

Their work is then put on display in a school exhibition with local MPs, councillors and members of the public invited to go along to hear the messages from the students.

Pieces from each school are also selected for a national online gallery, as well as an exhibition in the Houses of Parliament, to inspire MPs and Ministers to take action. 

"They have strong views about climate change and how it is affecting not only their community but other places in the world," Headteacher Goode added.

Grasmere School is holding its exhibition, which is open to the public, from Monday November 6 to Monday December 4 in St Oswald’s Church.

The centrepiece of the installation is the 'Scales of Injustice' which features a large snake sitting atop a bunch of apples.

The snake is said to represent industrialised nations, whilst the apples are the countries most affected by the climate crisis.

The model is made entirely from recycled materials, such as milk bottles from a local café, old diaries and discarded packaging.