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‘Obsessed’ councillor gets green award

A Teesside councillor jokingly described as “obsessed” with the environment has been recognised with a green award.

Middlesbrough councillor Bob Kerr receives regular ribbing from colleagues, who claim to repeatedly bump into Town Hall obstacles because he has turned off the lights.

But his dedication to the green cause has been recognised at the Middlesbrough Environment City Awards 2013 when he was given a lifetime achievement honour.

Current chair of MEC, Councillor Julia Rostron, said: “Bob was the very first MEC chair in 1992 and he was an integral part of the bidding team which won the environment city accolade.

“It is particularly appropriate that he should receive this award in MEC’s 21st anniversary year.

“He was chair for about four years, during which time he helped develop the Environment City framework across the town and developed the partnership.

“With Bob’s sound backing and guidance in the early years MEC has gone from strength to strength.

“Bob has a keen personal interest in the environment, which is as strong as ever. He is well known for his obsession with saving energy.”

Cllr Kerr actually presented the first Lifetime Achievement Award to the person to whom the award is now dedicated – Len Poole BEM.

The ceremony also honoured children from two of the town’s primary schools.

St Thomas More Eco-Warriors won the Sustainable Schools award. The Green Flag school in Beechwood has been developing its allotment area and holding gardening days run by Growing Food for the Future.

The school has also been involved in constructing bird boxes and developing wildlife areas, energy saving schemes, recycling and composting.

In the School Grounds category, The Grumpy Gardeners of St Bernadette’s RC Primary School, in Nunthorpe came out with the prize.

With the Grumpy Gardeners, the children have worked an allotment and orchard and created “hedgehog hotels”.

They have also grown and sold produce for further projects such as using old wellies as planters and tending bird boxes.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .