Dulwich parent frustrated with poor air quality raises £22,300 to fund installation filters for her children’s school

BY ALICE FULLER
toby@slpmedia.co.uk

A parent was so frustrated about the poor air quality outside her children’s school she raised money to install air purification units.

Lauren Juliff, 39, raised £22,300 to fund the installation of pollution cleaning filters at Harris Primary Academy East Dulwich.

The mother of two said: “I was horrified about the high levels of particulate pollution in the air.

“Recent studies have shown that children are often even more exposed to dangerous particulate matter inside their classrooms than they are in playgrounds and on the school run.”

Lauren, who was a governor at the school for four years, raised the issue in a governors meeting and got the headteacher on board.

She applied for money from Southwark’s Greener Cleaner Safer grant and received £17,000 towards the cost of installing special air filtration units.

The remaining money was raised with the help of a parent’s quiz night, a fun run on Peckham Rye and a summer fair.

Lauren said: “All the parents and staff have been really supportive. As a working parent, I’m not at school often and I have been happy to give something back to the community.

“Public awareness around pollution near schools is growing, and the effects of it has as well.

“We know much more about the way it can impact children’s learning and physical and mental health.”

Lauren highlighted traffic outside the school as a key factor in increased pollution levels.

She said: “We have two bus stops right outside the school and this is a major concern.

“There has been a lot of news about the London Mayor, ULEZ and the apparently greener buses. But these are diesel hybrid buses, and diesel is the most damaging thing for children. It gets deep into their lungs and bodies. These bus stops should not be outside primary schools – it’s dangerous.”

Lauren works in sustainable investment and is studying for a masters in climate science at King’s College London.

Her son is in Year 4 at Harris Primary Academy East Dulwich and her daughter is in Reception.
She praised the school’s headteacher Jo Conduit for her support of the project.

Lauren said: “I couldn’t have achieved such an effective solution to the air pollution challenge if it hadn’t been for our headteacher.

“I have seen, through my work as a governor, how hard headteachers work. It’s a very tough job.

“I know from conversations with other parents that many other headteachers don’t see air pollution as top of their list of concerns.

“But Jo really understood this was an issue of utmost importance.”

Headteacher Jo Conduit said: “The units are estimated to cut particulate matter in the air by more than 80 per cent so they are making a real difference to our children’s health and wellbeing.

“The units also filter out dust mites, bacteria and viruses so we hope the children will also suffer from fewer allergies and bugs too.”

Southwark Councillor and cabinet member for environment, transport and the climate emergency Richard Livingstone attended the launch event at the school.

He said: “It is wonderful to see the magic combination of support from parents, staff and students, bringing about much-needed change, to help improve air quality around schools.”

He encouraged parents and teachers keen to combat air pollution to join the Cleaner Air for Southwark Schools meetings.