Students got to meet Burt the Binman who shared his recycling message

The Great Storm (Image: Archant)

Burt is a book character and environmental/recyling champion created by Great Paxton mum Fleur Bateman. Fleur was inspired to write after struggling to find appropriate material for her 10-year-old son William who was fascinated by refuse lorries and collections.

The finishing touches are being made to her second book, Burt and the Great Storm, which is due to be published soon, and she has plans to write a third.

“Burt the Binman is a hero, but not a superhero with otherworldly physical capabilities, but an extraordinary environmental hero who is an everyday champion of rubbish collection and recycling,” said Fleur.

“Burt’s mission is to make his seaside hometown of Willswold a cleaner and safer place. Along the way he teaches the people of Willswold how to care for their town and for the earth.

“The recycling message is a powerful one for our times,” she added.

“Children are never too young to learn how to be environmentally responsible, and in each story Burt the Binman encourages that sense of responsibility, and teaches the readers how to help out in their own communities. Burt’s message is a local, national and global one.”

Fleur and William joined representatives from Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) to attend Longsands Academy on March 22, and HDC also brought along a refuse lorry, which is named after William.

“I was really happy to work with the students who are doing their final practical exam for digital media,” explained Fleur.

“They approached me as they wanted to cover the subject of recycling which is very valid at the moment and trending on many social and news platforms.

“There is plenty of media coverage and celebrities involved with bringing about awareness of the environment at the moment and since working with the students they have also come to realise there is a lack of education for teenagers about recycling and protecting the planet.”

The students are calling themselves The Longsands Eco Warriors and are in the process of creating a short video which they want to put on You Tube and social media platforms.

“They have seen that our award-winning Children’s eco hero Burt the Binman is a great tool for teaching children and thought he could be a subject to tap into and get teenagers’ attention as well. The whole concept of Burt is to make people mindful of recycling and teaching the next generation to clean up,” explained Fleur.

William met Huntingdon MP Johnathan Djanogy in February and talked to him about educating young people about recycling and the importance of protecting the environment.

Burt the Binman features on an education website: www.burtsrecycleschool.co.uk and on twitter he can be found at: #binlorryboy and #changingbritainonebinatatime.