Students and staff at Greenhead College in Huddersfield have teamed up with a Holme Valley environmental charity.

The college has signed a formal partnership with Honley-based River Holme Connections.

Students and staff will help on projects and activities boosting conservation, protection and improvement of the River Holme corridor.

The River Holme starts on moorland above Holmfirth and flows down the Holme Valley eventually emptying into the larger River Colne at Aspley near Huddersfield town centre.

Over the years the river and its banks have been neglected and in 2015 a group of volunteers came together to form what is now River Holme Connections.

The college aims to reduce its carbon footprint. In the college’s Environmental Sustainability Strategic Plan, overseas trips were identified as the largest contributor towards the college’s carbon footprint in 2022.

Its strategic plan is to reduce this year on year, with the aim of reaching net zero by 2038.

To support this target and attempt to balance the impact of travel, students were encouraged to attend a River Holme Connections volunteering day planting trees in the Holme Valley. The college also made a donation of £500 to River Holme Connections.

Stuart Strathdee, a chemistry teacher and sustainability lead at Greenhead College, said: “We are delighted to sign this agreement with River Holme Connections.

“It provides fantastic opportunities for our students to connect with nature, have fun learning new skills and contribute to brilliant community projects. I’m sure it’s going to help inspire students to support the college’s broader sustainability goals.”

Simon Hirst, river interventions manager at River Holme Connections, added: “We are delighted to sign this agreement with Greenhead College to help raise student awareness about the climate and biodiversity emergency, and offer a practical hands-on opportunity to make a difference to their local environment where they live and study.”