United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) articles supported by our work for the Live Simply Award:

In June 2021 we became the first school in Manchester Local Authority to gain the CAFOD Live Simply Award. We were of course delighted! Our school mission of 'Love one another as I have loved you' shows commitment to living life as Jesus told us. Our curriculum is built around the key message of 'Living simply' and protecting our world for future generations and alongside the National Curriculum this drives the work we do with the children in school. The Laudato Si Chaplaincy team worked really hard with our school leadership team to collate everything that we do in school in order to gain the award.

Here are some of the things we already do and some we plan to do to further strengthen our work with 'Living Simply'

1 Hold a walk, vigil or reflection to reflect on creation - Whole school walk around Cringle Park finishing in our Forest School.

2 Say the LiveSimply prayer - To be displayed in classes behind altars and said daily.

3 Hold a seasonal liturgy or LiveSimply Mass - Linked to number 1. Liturgy in Forest School.

4 Celebrate the feast of St Francis, patron saint of the environment, on 4 October 2021 - Whole school learning about St.Francis on that day. 

5 Celebrate the Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on 1 September - 1st activity we all do in RE books in September. 

6 Tree planting for Baptisms and first Holy Communions - Can this be done on the church grounds after Communions each year? 

7 Hold an outdoor service - This happens regularly in our peace garden and forest school as well as in our memorial area.

8 Use worship materials from the Green Christian website - Work ongoing.

9 Make and display a LiveSimply banner from recycled materials - Planned for next academic year.

10 Support CAFOD’s Lent and Harvest Fast Days - We link this to our collection for Cornerstone. 

11 Allocate time for silent reflection before Mass - We do this before collective worships and children already sit and reflect quietly before church services. 

12 Write messages of hope for refugees, inspired by the Lampedusa cross - Mr Usher  plans to make a large one of these for outside and the children write messages on. 

13 Invite a speaker to talk about 'Laudato Si’ - Father Ahern will come and talk to us on his next visit.

14 Reflect on 'Laudato Si’ using CAFOD’s guide - Practical action - has been done as part of our self evaluation of RE

15 Rules to reduce waste - to be done.

16 Compost kitchen waste - ongoing.

17 Use washable – not disposable - napkins, cloths, mugs and cutlery - in place.

18 Email copies of newsletters instead of printing - in place.

19 Print double-sided to save paper - in place.

20 Create an outdoor space for prayer and contemplation - We have a well used Peace Garden. 

21 Support or set up a second-hand school uniform exchange - We regularly place uniform outside that parents and carers can access free of charge.

22 Conduct an energy audit of buildings and monitor progress - Planned for later this academic year.

23 Draught-proof and insulate buildings - actioned.

24 Investigate whether your diocese is part of the ChurchMarketPlace / IFM renewable energy scheme - to be done. 

25 Use energy-saving lightbulbs and switch off lights - We have a works schedule to install latest lighting which uses latest bulbs etc. 

26 Turn off computers and photocopiers when not in use - in place.

27 Timetable meetings to minimise heating - Lunch instead of after school. 

28 Reduce the use of floodlights - Outdoor lighting on front is timed. 

29 Audit your recycling and look for more ways you can recycle - Ongoing.

30 Install double glazing 31 Install solar panels - All new windows are double glazed. We are looking to install solar panels on the roof and sell electricity back to the grid. 

32 Reduce water wastage - Timed taps to be fitted throughout school - ongoing.

33 Display local bus routes - Done.

34 Provide bike racks - Done. 

35 Encourage car-shares for meetings, or to attend church - We do this when we go to St.Cuthbert's for twilights. 

36 Hold a ‘Walk to School’ day - We are part of the living streets and walk to school programme WOW + stickers for children that walk that day. We also do a daily mile!

37 Become a collection point for local food banks - Collections made throughout the year for Cornerstones plus Burnage centre. 

38 Use environmentally-friendly cleaning products - in place. 

39 Use recycled paper and envelopes - in place.

40 Install bird feeders, boxes or bat boxes - Planned for next academic year - some in place but we want to install more.

41 Create a shared vegetable garden - Community allotment space now in place plus our new outdoor community building.

42 Become a FairTrade parish or school - Discuss with governors.

43 Use ethical banking and insurance - Done.

44 Fundraise for CAFOD World Gifts - Done. 

45 Install a water butt to collect rain water - Planned for next academic year.

46 Support local refugee projects - Ongoing.

47 Hold a card signing in support of CAFOD’s latest campaign - Planned for next academic year.

48 Organise a litter-picking walk - We do these regularly.

49 Make links with other local faith groups - Madina mosque. 

50 Plant wildflowers to attract insects and birds - We do this already.

51 Collect unwanted spectacles, mobile phones and ink cartridges for recycling Reaching out. - Planned for next academic year.

52 Promote a parish or school ‘unplugged day’ - No TVs, phones or computers - Planned for next academic year.

53 Create a ‘LiveSimply ideas’ Lenten or Advent calendar - Can be done in each class. 5 min sketch in a daily grid box. 

54 Encourage everyone to make a LiveSimply pledge - Planned for next academic year.

55 Put living simply tips of the week in a newsletter or on a noticeboard - Add this section to newsletter from January 2023.

56 Organise days out which are open to all - Link to number 1. 

57 Organise a children’s gardening club - We do this already. 

58 Organise a Bring and Buy sale - Christmas? Money raised goes to CAFOD. 

59 Publicise local recycling facilities - On weekly newsletter. 

60 Hold a film evening with a LiveSimply theme; showing, for example, ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, or ‘Before the Flood’ - Planned for next year.

61 Hold a climate change quiz night - Planned for next year.

62 Run CAFOD’s climate change game with your class or youth group - Planned for next year.

63 Make links with local groups, such as Friends of the Earth, Wildlife Trust, RSPB - Planned for next academic year.

64 Set up a St Vincent de Paul group - Minnie Vinnies group planned with support.

65 Write to local council leaders, MPs or MEPs - We do this already for example Celebrating difference day. 

66 Write to local newspapers about important local issues - Litter pick and campaign to stop housing being built on local green field site.

67 Link to communities in developing countries with CAFOD’s Connect2 - We do this through our links to Fr Pat and to Chimbote.

68 Support local refugees with the Jesuit Refugee Service

69 Make land available for people to grow food - We do this through our free mini allotments.

70 Become an access point for a local credit union - Links to the Bread and butter thing

71 Support local furniture re-use organisations - To be done. There are places on A6. 

72 Provide household items for rehoused homeless people - We do this for families in need.

73 Lobby or go to meet your local MP - Good links and has given a talk in school. 

74 Visit elderly or housebound people - Locals at Christmas. 

75 Make craft items out of recycled materials - Garden pots competition out of milk bottles and lanterns for our lantern festival.

76 Use ‘freecycle’ websites to give away unwanted items - We do this as and when we need to.

77 Use charity shops - We do this - often to find reading books.

78 Use Fairtrade products, including cleaning products - in place.

79 Buy locally sourced food - We have moved to providing our own school lunches and this will be part of our commitment.

80 Grow your own vegetables - in place.

81 Enjoy nature - All children have access to nature. This is planned though our Forest school programme. 

82 Pray before meals - We already do this.

83 Buy ethical clothing - Uniforms are from ethically sourced supplier.

84 Check your carbon footprint - Links to walking to school Sustrans etc. this is ongoing.

85 Close windows, curtains and doors to keep heat in - in place.

86 Insulate your loft - New part of school is insulated. 

87 Don’t leave appliances on standby - Ongoing - We need to do more of this. 

88 ‘Food for thought’ before meals – considering origins of our food - Grace before meals. 

89 Walk, cycle, take the bus, tram or train instead of driving - Sustrans and Manchester BeeNetwork. 

90 Reduce driving speeds to use less fuel. - Part of the Sustrans approach.

91 Share cars and offer lifts to others - Sustrans and Manchester BeeNetwork. 

92 Save water - Ongoing.

93 Cook with leftovers - plans to lessen rate and reuse food as we take on our own school lunches.

94 Switch to renewable energy, for example through Ecotricity

95 Have a weekly meat-free day - We already do this on Fridays. 

96 Compost food waste - This is in place but could be expanded.

97 Use cloth bags instead of plastic carrier bags - Planned for next academic year.

98 Offer temporary housing for homeless youngsters - We liaise with the homeless families unit as appropriate.

99 Volunteer for a cause you care about - Planned for next academic year.

100 Help local foodbanks distribute surplus food to people in need - We already have links to Cornerstones and the food bank and were instrumental in supporting the set up of That Bread and Butter thing.