Lewisham Council successfully bid to central government for £120k of funding to create a zero carbon plan for five schools in the borough. To deliver these works, the council is working with a local architect called Harry Paticas who is the Director of a social enterprise called RAFT (Retrofit Action For Tomorrow).
The proposal from RAFT is a response to the climate emergency by delivering educational workshops on climate change and thermal performance in parallel with the delivery of a deep retrofit, low carbon feasibility study and action plan for the school. The proposal aims to engage, educate and empower children and the wider school community to reduce energy and carbon use at school and homes.
So far, this has been delivered at St Winifred’s RC Primary School, where Harry Paticas worked with the school via Zoom workshops and home learning projects. The pupils have learnt about the challenges we face as a result of climate breakdown, how heat is lost from buildings, and how they can reduce carbon emissions at school and at home.
The education programme and further research work by RAFT will provide schools with a clear plan to become a carbon neutral school.
