A series of special visits to schools in a County Durham town will see a gang of super heroes come to life and help youngsters learn about water.
The photograph shows Super Splash Heroes Jada, Amira and Max (back row), with (front, left to right) Beamish Primary pupils Eva Sidaway (Year 1), Jake Jones (Year 1), Ayat Hussain (Year 2) and Owen Boyd (Year 2).
Pupils from Beamish Primary and Annfield Plain Infants School have taken part in the first of a series of Super Splash Heroes days being held across Stanley, Annfield Plain and surrounding villages, as the area gears up for a summer of learning about water efficiency with Northumbrian Water.
The sessions helped youngsters to find out about water’s role in the environment, how to save water and why its important for health.
Special days of activity are being organised in schools around the North East, where youngsters will get to watch a play featuring the four water saving heroic characters, then take part in workshops to learn more about how they can play their part in making simple changes to the way they use water to help protect the environment.
The plays and workshops in Stanley and Annfield Plain come ahead of the company bringing its Every Drop Counts “whole town” approach to water efficiency to the area later in the summer. Residents will be offered free water visits that will help people to use less water, and to save energy and money. They will then be able to receive installations of equipment worth up to £130, completely free of charge.
The Super Splash Heroes days follow the launch earlier this year of Northumbrian Water’s new educational resource for schools. Found within the company’s website, www.nwl.co.uk, the resource supports informative and fun learning for children and families with online activities, worksheets, videos and even information about the broad range of careers available within the water industry.
The days are delivered into schools with by drama-based training company We Are Gibber, with support from film and video company Signals Media. Local costume designers, Paul Shriek and Matt Fox helped us to design and create the costumes for the production.
Pupils from Key Stage 1 through to school leavers can find out more about the industry and the part it plays in the water cycle, interacting with nature to protect one of Earth’s most important natural resources.
Thomas Andrewartha, Northumbrian Water’s Water Efficiency Manager, said: “The Super Splash Heroes and the new educational resource are great ways of not only getting young people interested in water, but to also give families and schools the tools they need to help them continue to learn and find out more.
“We’re looking forward to a summer of activity in Stanley and Annfield Plain, with Every Drop Counts helping people to save water, energy and money. These fun plays will help children to understand the importance of saving water and the benefits it has for their homes and the environment.”
Ann King, Head Teacher ay Annfield Plain Infant School, said: "The children thoroughly enjoyed the performance and, even our very young children, have a better understanding of the importance of water conservation. There is also the added bonus that some of our local families will benefit from the free installation of money saving equipment."
The educational resource can be found at www.nwl.co.uk/learnaboutwater