School to slash its Carbon thanks to Matrix

A Midlands’ school is slashing its carbon emissions and energy bills after one of its pupils won top prize in a region wide eco-competition.

Jennifer Brook, a pupil at Cawston Grange in Rugby, was given £4,000 to fund eco-projects at her school after she won first prize in the Eco Home of the Future competition last March.

The competition, run by the Matrix Housing Partnership, invited pupils from across the Midlands to come up with a unique design for a future eco-house.

Thanks to the competition, Cawston Grange School has now insulated its communal boiler room. The work is expected to save the school more than £600 a year and reduce its Co2 emissions by almost 5 tonnes annually.

Consultants Sustain are working with Cawston on the project and are also exploring other ways they can help them cut their energy bills and carbon emissions.

Chris Handy, Matrix Chair of Strategy, said: “It’s brilliant to see that Cawston Grange has used the prize money in a way that will not only make them a ‘greener’ school but will also save them money.

“The Matrix Housing Partnership, which builds eco-homes across the Midlands, is committed to delivering high-quality, low carbon, affordable homes and working with local communities.”

Head teacher at Cawston Grange School, Sue McGonagle, added: “The prize money has allowed the school to improve its sustainability status as well as saving funding.

“The school’s measures on being a greener school are part of our curriculum and we hope that the children will carry this message into their lives as home owners of the future.”

Matrix is a partnership between Accord, Ashram, Caldmore, Rooftop and Trident housing associations which together provide 17,000 homes across the Midlands.