More than 200 pupils from 14 Manchester schools came together to celebrate their achievements in sustainability and environmental action, as part of the city’s Eco-Schools programme.

Teachers and community leaders joined the pupils in Heaton Park to officially recognise the schools that have led the way in creating greener, cleaner communities.

The celebration marks a milestone in Manchester's commitment to environmental education, with over 19,600 participants across nurseries, schools, and colleges taking part in the Eco-Schools initiative. Through this programme, schools have worked toward and earned the prestigious Green Flag accreditation, demonstrating a long-term commitment to sustainability.

The event featured a full day of interactive workshops and activities. Pupils explored biodiversity through sessions with the RHS Nature Park Team, Sow the City, and the Lancashire Wildlife Trust. Read Manchester and local Literacy Champions hosted an inspiring poetry workshop, while Plastic Shed demonstrated creative approaches to waste reduction.

Additional highlights included guided historical walks from Bike It, Walk It (In Our Nature), planting stations, and sports-themed eco games in partnership with Keep Manchester Tidy, encouraging pupils to adopt active and sustainable lifestyles. Students also had the chance to reflect on their experiences in the programme, contributing ideas to support Manchester’s ambition of becoming a recognised UNICEF Child Friendly City. The day concluded with a “Big Picnic Lunch” shared among participating schools.

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Renowned eco-journalist and documentary-maker Sarah Roberts delivered a keynote address, encouraging pupils to become environmental storytellers and global changemakers, drawing on her experiences working on environmental projects in Iceland and Namibia.

The Eco-Schools programme, part of the national Keep Britain Tidy campaign, has been empowering young people since 1994. It follows a seven-step framework and covers key topics such as waste, biodiversity, energy, healthy living, global citizenship, and litter. Schools that demonstrate long-term environmental efforts are awarded Green Flag status, with Manchester now home to 30 accredited schools—10 of which have achieved Distinction level.

Through the programme, Manchester pupils have organised 150 litter picks, collected 211 bags of waste, taken part in gardening lessons, and in one case, implemented a full ban on single-use plastics.

Keep Manchester Tidy continues to support the initiative by helping to fund schools involved in the programme, ensuring the momentum for environmental change is sustained.

The Eco-Schools celebration is one part of Manchester’s wider Clean and Green MCR campaign, which includes multi-million-pound investments in green spaces, litter infrastructure, and road safety improvements. Together, these efforts are helping to shape a cleaner, greener, and more child-friendly Manchester.

Participating schools included Prospect House Specialist Support Primary, Bowker Vale Primary, Old Moat Primary, Included Learning, Claremont Primary, Divine Mercy, and Withington Girls' School, all of which have embedded sustainability into their curriculum and community ethos.