A lesson in going green from St Cecilia’s

They’re known as “the girls in green” – and at St Cecilia’s they think green too!

Since the school’s Environmental Club was founded in 2014, pupils have been implementing a wide range of eco-friendly initiatives to reduce plastic, encourage recycling and make ‘fast fashion’ go out of style.

Thanks to the efforts of club members, there are now recycling bins in every room in the school.

Each week volunteers carefully empty the bins, sorting the content into the correct recycling bags and ensuring it isn’t contaminated with other waste.

Their hard work and initiative have prevented thousands of bags going into general waste bins, which would then go to landfill.

Due to pressure from the club, plastic cutlery is no longer used in the canteen, and it also strongly encourages the use of St Cecilia-branded stainless steel bottles for water, with every first year pupil given their very own one. Water taps throughout the school make it easy to get a refill.

The club is also devising a new campaign to encourage everyone to make regular use of a new battery recycling box which will be installed in the school soon. Plenty of house points will go to pupils who recycle!

This year members are particularly excited with their entry, ‘Swap with Style’, in the all-Ireland ECOUNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards competition.

The project includes holding a ‘Swap Shop’ at school each term when staff and pupils can exchange clothes rather than buying more “fast fashion”. The aim is to reduce the

North West Studio Is Crowned Ulster Tatler Interior Designer Of The Year

Shauna Stewart and her team from Coleraine design studio Velvet Interiors are celebrating being crowned 2023 Ulster Tatler Interior Designer of the Year.

The award, which was presented at a glittering ceremony hosted at Belfast City Hall, joins the growing number of accolades for the North Coast business.

Renowned for creating a relaxed luxury aesthetic that is both practical and liveable, the Velvet team design and manage a wide range of projects, from Victorian