Primary schools across Waltham Forest are backing a bid for the area to become London’s first-ever “borough of culture”.
Over the coming weeks, local schoolchildren will take part in lessons inspired by the campaign, and put forward their own ideas of what could be done to improve the area.
Pupils will choose a person, place or thing they think best represents the area, and design a digital plaque – inspired by English Heritage’s Blue Plaque programme – for an online map collating pupils’ favourite parts of Waltham Forest and their dreams for its future.
“The borough of culture team’s new programme will bring an exciting element to our classrooms over the coming weeks,” said Maureen Okoye OBE, the chief executive of Arbour Academy Trust, which runs two primary schools in the borough.
Ideas put forward by pupils will help shape the borough’s bid, which will be submitted to the Mayor of London on December 1.
“Children and young people are the creative future of the borough and schools are hotbeds of talent and imagination within our local communities,” said Grace Williams, Waltham Forest Council’s portfolio lead member for children and young people.
“It is essential to us that what we submit to the Mayor’s Office in December is something that young people in the borough want and would benefit from.”
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