A school aims to make eco-improvements to its sports block and main school building with money raised on Earth Day today.

The students at Sir Roger Manwood's School in Sandwich have been celebrating the environmental support day by holding a non-uniform fundraiser to rake in cash to convert its lighting source to the more sustainable LED option.

Preparations began three weeks ago by the school's Eco Society. They follow on from a successful fundraiser in 2019 which paid for new sustainable lights for more than half of the school.

This year the group set their sites on the science block. After a few weeks of fundraising, they received a match funding pledge from the Q Charitable Trust meaning the £1590 needed for the science block's lights is now covered.

That boost inspired them to switch focus to the sports block, sports hall and remaining sections of the main building and they have stretched their target to £4,000. This, with match funding and Gift Aid will cover the cost.

Head of Geography David Anderson said: "At the start of the day the school's new Earth Day flag was raised.

"The flag is made of recycled materials and was designed by Year 7 pupil Joshua who explained the reasons for his design. "

Joshua said: "I chose to have a plant as it symbolises the efforts to keep the world full of life that flourishes and grows."

LEDs use around a third of the electricity of normal lights and the students in the School’s Eco Society estimate that this will save around 10 tonnes of carbon a year from entering the atmosphere.

Further fundraising is due to take place including a sponsored walk/run/cycle.

A statement from the Eco Society published on its online fundraising page, said: "To mark Manwood's first Earth Day on April 22, the Eco Society is launching our virtual sponsored walk/cycle/run to Glasgow and back - a round trip of 1,500km.

"We've chosen this distance because in November Glasgow will host the UN's biggest climate change conference since the ground breaking Paris meeting in 2015 that secured a global agreement to tackle climate change."

You can support their efforts by donating at: https://www.rocketfund.org/ready-steady-glas-go

Read more: All the latest news from Sandwich