Save energy with Switch-Off and EDF's the POD
18 Nov 2011
Over 4,200 schools pledge to save energy with EDF Energy’s schools programme the Pod
Paralympic gold-medal winner and World Champion British rower, Tom Aggar and Paralympic gold medalist swimmer, Liz Johnson, today announced the third annual Switch Off Fortnight, organised by the Pod, EDF Energy’s programme for greener schools. Switch Off Fortnight takes place from 21st November to 4th December and helps schools across the country to reduce their energy consumption.
Local Pod schoolchildren from Courthouse Junior school in Maidenhead and Newbridge Primary school in Bath, visited Tom and Liz at their homes to carry out a home energy audit to kick off Switch Off Fortnight 2011. Last year 3,000 schools took part in Switch off Fortnight and this year more than 4,200 are already signed up. To mark the occasion and celebrate the half way mark of the campaign, the EDF Energy London Eye lights will be dimmed on 28 November.
Together with partner Eco-Schools England, the Pod is encouraging schools across the UK to take part in the campaign and to raise awareness of why it is important to save energy. Schools that take part in Switch Off Fortnight use Pod activities like ‘Goodbye Standby’ and ‘Switch On to Switching Off’. Each activity starts and ends with an audit so students can track and measure the savings they make.
London 2012 hopefuls Tom and Liz welcomed school children into their homes to carry out Switch Off Fortnight energy audits, to find out how they can save energy and reduce their carbon footprints. The Pod school children talked to the athletes about making simple changes in their home environment to become more sustainable.
Paralympic gold-medalist and 2012 hopeful Liz Johnson, who lives in Bath, added her support to the campaign: “It’s inspiring to see how many young people have joined this year’s Switch Off Fortnight and are taking such a keen interest in green issues. It was great to meet local schoolchildren and to see how engaged they are with sustainability and their level of understanding concerning the environment. With over 4,000 schools across the country already taking part in Switch Off Fortnight, we hope the campaign will inspire other schools, pupils, teachers and parents to get involved with EDF Energy’s schools programme the Pod.”
As part of the campaign, schools are being sent free Switch Off Fortnight campaign packs which include a tracking chart to add a competitive element and to encourage schools to continue to switch off all year round, fun posters, stickers and badges. Also available at www.jointhepod.org schools can find lesson plans, games, and practical activities that are all linked to the national curriculum as well as ‘take it home’ sheets so children can share what they’ve learnt with their families.
Robyn Broughton, EDF Energy’s schools programme manager, said, “Switch Off Fortnight is a great initiative that raises awareness of energy issues within schools and their local community. But this is not a one-off, it’s an initiative that allows children and young adults to truly embrace green issues and make a real difference over time. We have already exceeded our Sustainability Commitment of engaging with 2.5 million school children on green issues by 2012 and we hope that activities created by the Pod like Switch Off Fortnight will continue to grow levels of engagement with young people across the country.”
Gerry Heynes, headteacher at Maidenhead’s Courthouse Junior School, explained: “We’re delighted to be part of EDF Energy’s schools programme the Pod and the Switch Off Fortnight campaign. Sustainability is an important part of our school life and our ongoing aim to educate children in how they can make a positive difference to their school environment and local area. Switch Off Fortnight has really captured the imagination of our children and is helping them understand how they can make a positive difference to our school environment.”
EDF is an official Sustainability Partner for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. More than 14,500 schools are part of the Pod and through it EDF Energy has engaged with more than three million youngsters on sustainability issues. The Pod also part of Get Set – the official London 2012 education programme and is the showcase programme within the sustainability and regeneration theme. All schools participating in the Pod’s Switch off Fortnight are eligible to receive even greater reward and recognition from London 2012 by joining the Get Set network, visit http://www.london2012.com/getset for more information.
To sign up to Switch Off Fortnight and for more information on EDF Energy’s The Pod, visit jointhepod.org and click on news.