Schools help drive cleaner air message across Tewkesbury Borough
Posted on: 17 September 2026
Primary school pupils across Tewkesbury Borough are helping to spread an important clean air message after taking part in the borough council’s creative campaign.
The initiative invited local schoolchildren to design banners, encouraging drivers to switch off their engines when parked or waiting. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the impact vehicle idling can have on air quality and promote simple actions that can improve everyone’s health and protect the environment.
Funded by £9,000 from Gloucestershire County Council’s District Council Air Quality Grant and £1,000 from Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Climate Change Reserve Fund, the competition saw pupils use their creativity to produce impactful designs promoting cleaner air.
Four primary schools took part, Gotherington Primary School, Highnam Church of England Primary School, The John Moore Primary School, and Tredington Primary School, with children using their creativity to develop eye-catching artwork to help encourage positive environmental habits within their communities.
A judging panel made up of Tewkesbury Borough Council officers and the council’s lead member selected a winning design from each participating school, as well as one overall winner – Austin Cole, in year three, at Gotherington Primary School – whose artwork is now featured on signage in council-owned car parks across the borough.
As part of the prize, the overall winners, Gotherington Primary School, have also won an educational trip, funded through Gloucestershire County Council’s District Council Air Quality Grant. Additional banners have also been produced for other schools across the borough to use if they wish.
Rachel Biddle, Headteacher at Gotherington Primary School, said: “The children really enjoyed taking part in this challenge and had fun using their creativity to promote an important environmental message. It was a fantastic opportunity to help them learn how small actions can make a positive difference, and we’re incredibly proud to see the winning design displayed in the borough council’s car parks around the borough.”
Cllr Ashley Bowkett, Cabinet Member responsible for Climate at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see young people taking such an active role in helping to improve the environment in their communities. Through this project, pupils have shown real creativity and enthusiasm in encouraging people to think about the simple actions we can all take to reduce air pollution and protect public health.
“Air quality affects all of us, particularly children and older residents, so it’s important that we continue to raise awareness and support positive behaviour change. We’re delighted to have funded this initiative through our District Council Air Quality Grant, and I’d like to congratulate all the pupils who took part. Their artwork is helping to spread an important message and will make a real contribution to creating cleaner, healthier places for people to live, work, and learn.”
Councillor Cate Cody, Lead Member for Climate and Ecology at Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: “This project highlights the power of young people to inspire positive change. The pupils involved have created an engaging and important reminder that small, simple actions, such as switching off your engine when stationary, can make a real difference to the air quality in our communities.
“By working with our local schools, we’re not only helping to spread an important message today but encouraging the next generation to think about the role we all play in protecting our environment. I’d like to thank all the pupils and staff who took part and helped make this campaign such a success, I was also really impressed that in addition to engine idling, much of the children’s artwork promoted active travel such as walking, cycling and scooting to school instead of going by car.”
For more information about the council’s work on Climate Change, visit: tewkesbury.gov.uk/climate-change.
