Chipping Brabins are landfill champions

Instead of dumping their unwanted clothes and shoes, the children have donated them to charity.

Between them, 2,267 pupils from 13 schools have collected nearly three tonnes of goods for the Recycle with Michael project.

The initiative is run by the Salvation Army and is aimed at primary schools.

Pupils from the tiny Chipping Brabins Endowed CE School collected the most.

Brabins has been named top recycler with 0.19 tonnes being collected by its pupils – the largest donation of goods (calculated as the highest ratio of weight to pupils) of all the schools that took part in the initiative across the region.

As a reward, the school received a surprise visit from the initiative’s mascot Michael, who turned up to meet pupils and hand them an award.

Kirk Bradley, head of corporate partnerships at Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd said: “We’re delighted to name the pupils from Brabins Endowed Primary School our ‘Recycle with Michael’ champions. We were overwhelmed by the school’s response to the campaign and the dedication of pupils and staff in promoting and acting on the recycling message.

“Our van was full to the brim on collection day thanks to all the donations. In fact, participation in the competition across the whole of Lancashire has been amazing.

“We hope this is the start of a drive to give unwanted items a new lease of life – turning clothes, shoes and textiles into funds for local schools as well as for our charitable work.”