A multi-academy trust which runs multiple schools in Weston has held its first ever environment conference at Winterstoke Hundred Academy.

The Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) hosted its inaugural conference on fighting climate change last week (March 31), where children from across all of its schools got the chance to discuss the impacts of ecological breakdown.

It was the first time members from all of the CLF schools got together at an event since the start of the pandemic.

Organised by the trust's Environmental Action Group (EAG), each academy was represented at the conference by 10 students ranging from the ages of four to 19.

During the day, staff and students heard from three guest speakers who are experts on the environment; Francis Hyland, Chris Sperring and Laura Fogg–Rogers.

Uphill Village Academy principal and EAG chair, Sam Hodder, said: "We were delighted to hold this special event.

"Environmental issues are of high importance to many of us and we have pledged, as a trust, to make a real difference within our communities.

"The aim of the conference is to educate, inspire and inform our young people so they are equipped to invoke change within their own academies.

"The conference purposely follows the COP26 summit for 2021 as many of our students had their interest heightened by the publicity and news coverage. We feel it is a perfect opportunity to continue their education and build on that interest."

One of the guest speakers, Laura Fogg–Rogers, is a lecturer in science communication at University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol.

She has previously worked for the BBC as a journalist and communications manager in New Zealand. Currently, she manages the communications for the EU environmental project ClairCity.

ClairCity is a Horizon 2020-funded project which is responsible for responding to the call of 'improving the air quality and reducing the carbon footprint of European cities'.

The project takes a novel approach to understanding air pollution, carbon emissions and their impact on citizen health and wellbeing.

CLF runs more than 20 schools in our area which serves more than 12,000 children and young people aged three to 19.

Its schools in Weston include Hans Price, Broadoak, Haywood Village, Herons’ Moor, Winterstoke Hundred, and Uphill Village Academies.