One of the most encouraging things about my role as Cabinet Member for Environment is seeing how passionate young people across the Forest of Dean are about protecting our environment.

Over the past three years, Forest of Dean District Council has supported local schools to take part in the Eco-Schools programme, which is run by the charity Keep Britain Tidy. The Council has covered registration costs and provided funding for resources to help bring environmental projects to life. The results have been inspiring.

Eco-Schools is about far more than learning facts about climate change, recycling or biodiversity. It uses a pupil-led approach, giving children the opportunity to take ownership of projects, make decisions and see for themselves how small actions can create positive change. Once criteria are met, the school can apply for the ‘Green Flag’ - a prestigious international accreditation, which shows a school has demonstrated excellence in environmental education and action.

This year's achievements highlight exactly why the programme is so valuable. Across the participating schools, young people diverted around 11,000kg of waste from landfill, created or maintained 310m² of natural habitat and helped save around 8,300 kilowatt-hours of electricity - enough to power around two to three typical UK homes for a year.

The creativity and enthusiasm shown by the children has been inspiring. At some schools, pupils led assemblies and organised awareness campaigns. Others established biodiversity areas, built homes for wildlife, explored the impact of plastic pollution on marine life, or created artwork inspired by the natural world. Pupils have also embraced practical projects such as composting, active travel initiatives and growing fruit and vegetables.

The programme also helps build important life skills. Schools were praised for developing pupil leadership, encouraging teamwork, fostering community partnerships and giving children the confidence to share their ideas and influence positive change.

I have been fortunate enough to visit several of the participating schools and see this work first-hand. The commitment shown by both pupils and staff has been remarkable.

That is why I am pleased that we will again be supporting Eco-Schools during the coming academic year. As we face global environmental challenges, it is reassuring to see so many young people taking positive action locally. I would encourage any local school that is not yet involved to consider taking part and make use of the support available through the council.

They are not only learning about sustainability. They are helping to shape a greener future for the Forest of Dean, and that is something we should all be proud of.