Steven Pritchard
To honour Matilda
Fundraising for Keep Britain Tidy
Story
Matilda Pritchard dreamt of a world without rubbish. Regularly picking up litter in her local Pudsey parks, she found joy in seeing a clean space after her efforts, and Matilda’s dedication didn’t go unnoticed. In 2023, she was over the moon to receive a Blue Peter green badge for her efforts.
Sadly, on April 3rd, 2024, Matilda passed away peacefully in her sleep, from an undiagnosed heart condition. This campaign is dedicated to raising money to support the Keep Britain Tidy Eco-school program.
As part of our efforts to raise money and awareness on a topic passionate to Matilda, we compiled some research on how we should tackle the issue.
99% of the population believe the impacts of litter should be taught at schools
An obvious passionate response from the significant majority of respondents, with very little variation across demographics. However, we also wanted to find out at what age level should litter be discussed at school.
With over 36% of respondents believing the impact of litter should be taught at infants level and 30% at primary or junior schools, the belief is obvious, that teaching them at an early age will likely have a positive impact on trying to reduce litter.
Interestingly, we also asked if adults should be taught the impacts of litter on the environment and an overwhelming 95% of respondents said yes. So the message is clear, education across all ages is key to helping reduce the impact of litter.
Climate change education is also important
85% of respondents believe that the impacts of climate change should be taught at school, but the school age varies a little.
34% of respondents believe that climate change should be taught at Primary/Junior schools, followed by 28% for secondary schools.
Steve Pritchard, Matilda’s Father and Campaign manager, said “Matilda loved learning about the environment and making a difference to her local community through regular litter picks. This campaign looks to honour her passion and hopefully inspire future generations to be just as passionate”.
Adam Flint - National Manager, Eco-Schools England “Young people aren't just concerned about climate change—they're demanding the knowledge and tools to fight it. Pupils working on Eco-Schools have demonstrated this for more than 30 years. Litter and waste are a key part of this drive. Litter-picking, recycling and reducing our waste are day to day things we can do to take action, but it all starts with increased knowledge. Covering this in the classroom is vital.”
Matilda’s Legacy is looking to raise £42,000 to sponsor the Eco-Schools litter topic for the next 5 years - a time that should have been for Matilda to learn more about the environment at secondary school.
More information about the Eco-Schools program can be found at https://www.eco-schools.org.uk/ten-topics/litter/