In 2026, Solihull School chose ecobirmingham as the charity for its termly fundraising. Pupils across the Preparatory and Senior Schools raised over £1,300. This will fund two months of forest school for around 60 children in Birmingham. We also supported the school to review its Climate Action Plan, making the partnership a good example of how schools and organisations can take practical action on sustainability.
How the school fundraising partnership started
In spring 2026, Solihull School approached ecobirmingham about working together as part of its termly fundraising. We met to talk through the range of work ecobirmingham delivers across Birmingham, so the school could choose a cause that matched its own values.
Nature connection, forest school and sustainability already run through the school’s curriculum. Together, we agreed that our creative learning programme was the best fit.
Why fundraising for nature connection matters for children in Birmingham
Emily, our Fundraising Coordinator, spoke at a Preparatory School assembly about the work we deliver with children. Many children in disadvantaged areas of Birmingham have little access to green space and wildlife. Our sessions give them regular time outdoors in green spaces, learning about local plants, animals and how ecosystems work.
Time in nature supports life skills that last well beyond the session, including:
- resilience
- team building
- dynamic thinking
- confidence
- knowledge of the natural world
- a desire to protect the living world they rely on for a good future
Climate action needs everyone
At the Senior School assembly, Emily spoke alongside staff and the student leadership team about the school’s own sustainability work. The assembly took place on one of the hottest days of an already hot summer in 2026, which made the point for us.
We talked about why climate action has to be a collective effort. Large organisations and companies, which many of these students will go on to work for, have a major role. So does grassroots, community-led action of the kind ecobirmingham supports. Many communities in Birmingham have done little to cause the climate crisis but are among the most exposed to its effects, such as extreme heat. Building resilience in those communities is a central part of our work.
What Solihull School said
Chris (Sustainability Co-Ordinator and Teacher of Economics and Business) from Solihull School said:
“It was a pleasure to work with ecobirmingham, in particular Emily, who was fantastic at coming into speak to both our Prep and Senior School in assemblies on the importance of climate action, who ecobirmingham help as a charity and why we were raising money towards their charity as a school. We’re delighted that, through this charity, we have been able to fundraise to help children in areas of Birmingham that don’t have the same level of access to wildlife areas and that via ecobirmingham’s nature zones, they’re able to learn about various flora and fauna and how they’re important to our ecosystem. Furthermore, Emily was also very gracious in helping us with our Climate Action Plan by reviewing our plan, providing constructive feedback and also discourse on some of the content and ideas that we had.”
What the money will fund
Solihull School raised over £1,300 through its end-of-term fundraising event. This will fund two months of forest school for around 60 children in Birmingham, giving them regular, hands-on time learning outdoors.
Supporting the school’s Climate Action Plan
After the fundraising event, Emily worked with Chris to review Solihull School’s Climate Action Plan. We gave feedback on the plan and discussed the content and ideas behind it.
This is one of the ways ecobirmingham supports organisations beyond fundraising. Our team has expertise across energy, active travel, food, nature and community engagement. We can give practical, joined-up support to help organisations meet their sustainability, CSR and ESG targets.
How your school or organisation can get involved
If your school, business or organisation would like to support ecobirmingham, there are several ways to work with us:
- Fundraise for us: choose ecobirmingham as your school, staff or company charity. See Fundraise for us.
- Corporate packages: tailored support for CSR goals and ESG requirements, staff volunteering and workforce development. See For organisations and employees.
- Volunteer as a team or individually
- Donate: make a donation to support our work directly.
Find all the options on our Get involved page, or contact us to talk about a partnership.
Thank you to Chris, the staff and every pupil at Solihull School who took part.