We are absolutely delighted to celebrate the brilliant young minds who took part in our inaugural Reuse and Repair Week Schools Competition. From upcycled games to community uniform swaps, our local schools have proven that the circular economy is alive, kicking, and full of creativity.
NIRN’s Education Co-ordinator, Orlaith Quinn, hit the road to present each of our three category winners with a £500 cash prize, an official certificate, and a bespoke bird box, bat box, and garden planter handcrafted from reclaimed wood to boost local biodiversity.
Here is a look at the inspiring projects that took home the top prizes:
Winner: St. Colm’s High School, Draperstown
St. Colm’s captured the true ethos of the circular economy by organising a successful Preloved School Uniform event. What was meant to be a short-term campaign struck such a chord that it was extended for three weeks to keep up with overwhelming demand. The school successfully placed over 50 high-quality uniforms with local families, preventing waste and providing practical community support.
“By keeping over 50 uniforms in circulation, they didn’t just prevent waste, they provided practical, tangible support to local families,” noted Orlaith Quinn.
Winner: Holy Trinity Primary School, Enniskillen
The talented Year 6 and 7 Language and Communication classes blew the judges away with their sheer ingenuity. Turning everyday waste materials into a series of fully functioning, handcrafted games, the pupils designed and built a snakes and ladders board, a putting green, a cornhole game, a basketball hoop, a roulette wheel, and a custom money box. Accompanied by Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Debbie Coyle, they were delighted to celebrate these fantastic young makers.
Winner: Knocknagor Primary School, Trillick
Knocknagor’s Eco Committee sparked a massive community-wide sustainability movement. Families were challenged to transform household waste into upcycled garden items, while pupils turned plastic bottles into bird feeders, bee houses, and sensory bottles. The project culminated in a grand Reuse Exhibition and a student-led assembly, perfectly demonstrating how passion meets community spirit to drive the “Reduce, Reuse, and Repair” message home.
