Global and Environmental Research Centre
Swavesey Village College is committed to developing a culture within the students which promotes an understanding of environmental issues and sustainability.
As part of the PSHE curriculum the students experience conferences in which they discuss and develop their thoughts on environmental issues. Conference days have traditionally been carried out in classroom by SVC staff and industrial or business experts, but in future we will host conferences in our newly developed ‘Global and Environmental Research Centre’. The Centre will house a range of environmental resources which demonstrate the value (or otherwise) of developing a sustainable way of living. We are very grateful for the support and funding for the development which has come from;
RM Ltd. – Wind turbine generator and an eco-quiet PC which will run on the electricity generated by the turbine
STEMNET & EEDA – Innovations grant to fund the installation of a rainwater recycling system, solar water heating system and the bioreactor.
Cambridge Consultants – Funding the installation of
15 thin client laptop computers which will use significantly less energy than standard computers. The laptops will allow flexible working situations for students during their conference days while use less energy to study environmental issues. Cambridge Consultants have supported this project as it is in line with their 'green credentials' in R&D. The parent company 'Altran' has developed the worlds first solar powered airplane which is planned to circumnavigate the world between 2010 - 2011.
SSAT - Innovations grant to part fund the installation of the bioreactor to turn waste vegetable oil into biodiesel. This project prevents the need to use fossil diesel and reduces the transport of the waste oil to processing plants or to land fill sites.
Mott Macdonald Ltd – Funding the installation of thin client terminals which also use significantly less energy than standard computers. Staff from Mott MAcDonald are also working with students to understand the need for water conservation on a global level.
AQUA Mechanical Ltd – Fitted the solar water heating system and pipe work to the toilets and kitchen in the environment centre allowing the recycled water to be used efficiently and for the water for the sinks to heated without using energy.
BAXI Ltd – Provided the Solar panel and Hot Water tank system to provide the hot water in the centre without using any fuel.
Renovation work will begin in August on the common room to create the first stages of the new ‘Global and Environmental Research Centre’, which will then continue to develop with the building of the new School hall and meeting rooms from January 2009. The Centre will be used a teaching room for students with integrated resources demonstrating the advantages of sustainable developments and will allow students to investigate, calculate, and debate the advantages and disadvantages of sustainable developments locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
Professor David Bellamy has agreed to visit the College on November 24th for the official opening ceremony of the centre and to begin it's work in fuelling discussion on environmental awareness issues.