Children at William Alvey School were helped by staff and parent volunteers to reuse their donated crisp packets to make 'bivvy bag' sleeping bag liners for homeless people.
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00:00Hello, so we're here today with the William Alvey School in Sleaford and
00:05we've got year three team leader Mrs. Purchase. So what's happening today then?
00:13So we have collected lots of crisp packets and today we are ironing them all together to make sleeping bag covers, or bivvies, which we're going to donate to homeless shelters.
00:21And so how do you go about from getting a crisp packet that's
00:25covered in salt and grease and things like that and to actually make it so
00:28that someone won't want to climb inside? So what we do is over the past few weeks we've been washing them in warm soapy water and cutting them open so they're flat and then today we're
00:38ironing them together in strips which we'll then iron together to make a big
00:41sheet. We then cover it in a clear plastic layer and stick two of the sheets together and you've got a sleeping bag cover.
00:47Great and that was an idea that you came up with with one of your teaching
00:51assistants? Yeah, one of our teaching assistants noticed how many crisp packets we were going through in a day and thought there must be a better way to use them than just going to landfill.
00:57We did a bit of research and found a charity called the Crisp Packet Project who use crisp packets to make different items for the homeless and so we decided to get involved.
01:06Great and so you're actually letting the children loose with the irons? Yes, definitely. We have some very excited children here at the new mountain today and they're all ironing. So all of Key Stage 2, Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 have all had a go with the irons so far.
01:21So that's what about how many children? Over 400 children. Goodness me and the reaction you've had so far has been good has it? Brilliant, they've been really excited, really excited to give it a go.
01:33So do you want to talk me through the process a bit of how they get on? So these are the strips here that you're ironing together? Yes, so these are the strips and you literally just run the iron backwards and forwards over the strip and it just melts the plastic together.
01:47So you add them all together to make a strip? Yes, five crisp packets in a strip and then 15 strips makes one sheet. And then you make two of those sheets don't you? Yes, two together and then you can put a sleeping bag inside to keep it warm and dry.
02:02So we've got one of the youngsters here actually doing it? Yes, this is Gracie, so she's just lined up two of the crisp packets, she goes over it with the iron and then they're stripped together.
02:17And then you shuffle it along and line up another crisp packet and carry on the process.
02:32So Gracie, can I just interrupt you a minute, have you ever ironed before? No. So are you going to do all the ironing at home now as well? No. But you liked doing this did you? Yes. Oh great, why do you like doing this? Because it's really fun and I like helping others.
02:54Oh brilliant, thank you. And these are just some of the stacks and stacks, you've had a good response from the parents then? Yes, well this is just from in school, so we have over 600 children, so every day we get a lot of crisp packets, so this is just a month's worth of supply.
03:12It must sort of put into perspective how many crisps they all eat. Exactly, yeah, and just to think this was all going into landfill, we've managed to make it into something really useful. So we've got some more children doing it along here? Yes, this is Camilla.
03:27Is it very difficult to do then Camilla? Not really. No, no. The iron's not too heavy is it? No. Oh good, good. Can you believe that that's what you're going to make at the end of it, you're going to make a blanket? Yes. Would you like one? Yeah maybe.
03:53Brilliant. And we've got the boys doing it too. This is Teddy. Have you ever done ironing before Teddy? No. Is it easier than you thought it would be? It is isn't it?
04:14You've got that on record now so your mum can use that. So do you like doing this and what do you feel that you're doing to help? I feel like I'm doing something good for the homeless people.