The milestone was marked by a celebration event at Stranmillis University College with over 500 people attending, including teachers and pupils. Established in 1994 to involve young people in finding solutions to environmental and sustainable development challenges, the programme is operated locally by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), local authorities and a range of other partners. Advertisement Advertisement Get the latest Farm Week news direct to your inbox Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Farming Life within your account.
Northern Ireland’s record of success in the programme over the past three decades is significant. The Green Flag, an international accreditation for the environmental education and performance of schools, has been awarded to 2,253 schools across the region to date. Northern Ireland was also the first in the world to award a Green Flag to one of its schools – Downpatrick Nursery in 1994.
The 1,000th Green Flag was awarded to Walker Memorial Primary School in Dungannon in 2017. Over the course of the two-day event, supported by RiverRidge and Translink, a variety of awards were presented to schools, recognising their outstanding achievements in environmental stewardship and sustainable practices. Advertisement Advertisement The Green Flag Awards will reaccredit successful schools, whilst the Wheelie Big Challe.
