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‘One Good Idea’ Project

“Wind Of Change” is a newly founded awareness group set up to inform and promote wind
energy in Ireland. The group consists of only two members, fellow fifth year classmates Leanne
Bell and Anita Armstrong. We are undertaking this project through our Green Schools committee
as part of the SEAI One Good Idea post-primary schools competition. The aim of this competition
is to inspire people to make small lifestyle changes that will use energy more efficiently and help
tackle climate change. Of course our idea is based on the use of wind power. We want to raise
awareness of wind energy and it’s benefits to A) the environment and B) the economy, as well
as creating a clear and easily accessible source of information for people who want to go about
using wind energy in their home or business.
The idea started from our school’s attempts to obtain our second green flag for energy. We also
emailed a number of domestic turbine suppliers as part of our campaign to try and get a free
wind turbine to reduce the carbon footprint of our school.

Our website (www.royalschoolcavan.wix.com/windofchange) is a constant work in progress,
everyday we update it with a new facts, pictures and info based on our research which we have
gathered through surveys and correspondence with organisations such as the Irish Wind Energy
Association. We are hoping to organise a visit to a large-scale wind farm soon where will get to
interview the people who work there day to day and gather even more information, helping us
to begin tackling the stigma surrounding developing wind farms in rural areas.
To spread the message about our website we enlisted the help of local primary school students
and Cavan County Council to make and display decorative windmills out of plastic bottles, which
were displayed around town for the month of March. The windmills were accompanied by a sign
directing people to our website and social media accounts.
We have already made it through to the first stage of the competition and our proposal has
been chosen, along with 49 others across Ireland, to be activated and carried out before further
judging will see the top ten through to the national final in Dublin Castle. The overall winning
project will then be developed into a nationwide public awareness campaign.

For more information go to www.royalschoolcavan.wix.com/windofchange

Leanne Bell

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