27 Mar 2026
Primary school eco-councils across the city have been getting creative, producing anti-idling slogans for a competition run by The Green House Climate Club.
Tricia Gibbons, director of the St Albans-based sustainability hub The Green House in London Road, said: “A car idling for one minute produces the equivalent of 150 balloons of toxic air. This is not a visual that sits comfortably at the school gates.”
She added: “The Climate Club has been running a cleaner air campaign, sharing air quality monitors loaned by Hertfordshire County Council, so that pupils can learn more about the air we all share.”
Nilima Willis, schools liaison volunteer for The Green House, explained why the campaign focused on idling: “There’s been a strong national focus on improving air quality. Anti-idling is something that affects everyone locally and is particularly problematic around schools. It’s something children can understand and notice.”
All competition entries were displayed at The Green House market stall on Saturday, where members of the public voted for their favourite slogans.
Lily Charnock, eco lead teacher at Camp Primary School, said: “It was great to be involved in this creative competition. It helped pupils understand the importance of good air quality for both their health and the environment.
“Because we can’t see air pollution, this really helped bring the issue to life.”
The winning slogan— “Turn it off to stop our cough”—earned Camp Primary School a set of climate-themed books for their library.
The campaign will continue into the summer term, with a focus on active travel to school, culminating in Clean Air Day on June 18.
To learn more about the Climate Club and The Green House, visit: https://thegreenhousestalbans.org/
For more information on clean air initiatives, visit:
https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/clean-air
https://www.actionforcleanair.org.uk
