Training for Council’s junior officers

 

Cheshire East Council’s (CEC) junior officers are working hard to boost recycling and save energy.

More than 177 primary school pupils have taken part in special training days this month.

The children are Junior Recycling Officers (JROs) and Junior Energy Monitors (JEMs) for the authority.

They are tasked with promoting recycling and energy-saving among their peers and the wider community. A total of 110 schools in Cheshire East are now part of the initiatives.

The training gave the children a chance to brush up on their skills and look at new ways to promote their work in their schools.

This included devising questionnaires about recycling and energy-saving – to be completed by their peers and families – to find out how knowledgeable their local communities are.

The JROs looked closely at CEC’s on-going Love Food, Hate Waste campaign, which educates people on how to avoid throwing food away unnecessarily.

At the end of the school year, all pupils taking part will be able to apply to become the JRO or JEM of the year and win a mountain bike.

Cheshire East Councillor Rod Menlove, Cabinet member with responsibility for environmental services, said: “These initiatives have gone from strength to strength. The dedication and enthusiasm of the JROs and JEMs is to be commended.

“These training days are about encouraging the children to continue their good work and work on ideas which will help take their roles even further.

“Our JROs and JEMs enjoy a very busy and productive time in their position and serve a vital role in Cheshire East Council’s work in boosting recycling and reducing energy consumption.”

The training days took place at Congleton Town Hall on March 14, Macclesfield Senior Citizens Hall on March 15 and the Victoria Centre in Crewe on March 16.