The young people and team at Stapledene have been learning about how to become more environmentally friendly and helping save money at the same time thanks to their Eco-Project initiative.
Manager Emma Patch recently discussed the cost of living crisis with everyone at the home and it encouraged them to start thinking about how they could contribute to reducing costs and helping the environment.
Kaya, who has lived at Stapledene for three and a half years, had always enjoyed having new things and spending her money, so the team asked her if she would like to research how to much things cost to run and what eco-friendly alternatives she could find.
Kaya’s research found eco-friendly alternatives that could help save money including tips such as using a clothes rack instead of a dryer, a laptop instead of a tablet, a dishwasher instead of washing up, and an air fryer instead of an oven could all contribute to significant savings. Kaya also became interested in recycling and began recycling items around the house.
To further her knowledge, the team asked Kaya to take care of snake plants, which are known for their air-purifying properties. Kaya has taken great pride in nurturing the plants on a daily basis, has learnt to split and propagate new plants – having done so with three so far – and is looking to do more in the future.
Robert, another young person at Stapledene, also got involved in the initiative. He wanted to save money and buy a Nintendo Switch. He researched how reducing the use of fuel could help the environment and save money, and agreed with the team to walk 10,000 steps and earn £5 for each 10,000 steps completed instead of driving to school. Robert is continuing to earn and save his money to buy a Nintendo Switch in the future, and he remains enthusiastic about the initiative.
Manager Emma and the team have been pleased to see how the initiative has engaged the young people that they are looking to share the initiative with other residential children’s homes in the area to promote cost-saving and environmental consciousness.
