Awards feather in cap for pupils

1:36pm Tuesday 17th June 2008

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A school with an avian enterprise is in line for an award.

Pupils at St Barnabas CE Primary School, in the Leeman Road area of York, are keeping three chickens, Dolly, Sally and Harley, as part of an educational project to teach the children about sustainable communities.

The three brown pullet hens are ensconced in a state-of-the-art hutch called an Eglu, and are helping the children learn how to look after animals. The eggs they produce will be sold to the local community, and the profits will then be used to buy eggs for developing communities in Africa through a charity called Send A Cow.

The enterprise involves all the children at the school, who take it in turns to care for the chickens and collect the eggs.

Head teacher Helen Davey said: "The school takes part in an outdoor nativity in the city each year, and when we took our children there some of our youngsters who are slightly more challenging really took to the animals and were really calmed by them. So when I came back I said we have got to have animals in school, and now here we are."

Vikki Pendry, healthy schools co-ordinator, who nominated the project in the Community Pride awards under the Best Primary School Project category, said the project helped bring the community together, as well as raising money for a worthwhile cause.

She said: "We are using the Chicken Run' project to teach the children about care and respect for animals, real responsibilities, organisational skills, issues surrounding sustainable communities and the benefits if supporting charities. The children have worked really hard in the project."

The Press still needs nominees for the York Community Pride Awards. If you know of someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the community, we would love to hear about them. To nominate someone, simply fill in the coupon via the link below.

Send in a non-returnable picture of your nominee along with a supporting statement setting out why your nominee deserves an award.

Send nominations to Community Pride Awards, Paula Homer, The Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN. Alternatively, you can email us at editor@thepress.co.uk