STUDENTS enjoyed a fun-filled day out at the Grozone Community Garden in Northwich.

The day was the final phase of this school year’s ‘Year 7 Recycling Challenge’ run by Ansa.

The programme aims to encourage the students to engage in the 3 R’s initiative: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, and to encourage this message at home.

This continues the waste education work begun in primary schools with the Junior Recycling Officer programme.

Forty-five school students from four secondary schools took part in activities including composting, building bug boxes and bottle gardens, and preparing their own lunch outdoors, which was then cooked using a traditional clay oven.

The four schools attending included Knutsford Academy and Middlewich High School, and the event was organised by Groundwork on behalf of Ansa Environmental Services, with practical demonstrations by the team at Grozone.

The event was the largest group of students ever attending the garden at one time.

Ansa chairman Councillor John Hammond said: “This is an excellent example of our work with schools in Cheshire East to help to reduce waste and engender an interest in the wider environment.

“It was great to see so many keen students engaging in all of the activities and learning so much whilst having fun.”

Ansa Environmental Services Ltd is a company wholly owned and controlled by Cheshire East Council.

Its provides waste management services, fleet management, parks and grounds maintenance, and street cleansing services for Cheshire East and other clients.

Grozone is a Groundwork Cheshire Lancashire and Merseyside project which provides volunteering opportunities and horticultural and social therapy.