“UK school communities are very committed to the fight for cleaner air. Understanding the causes of air pollution is the first step to remedying the situation by taking appropriate action. We are glad that our initiative met the needs of the schools staff and students of British schools who want to breathe more consciously.” — Marcin Gnat, PR Manager at Airly
The campaign
We began with an open nomination process, which saw well over 100 schools register interest in our campaign in a short period of time. Many are near polluted main roads, or in flight paths, and we received submissions from headteachers, parents, community members and council officers. Once the schools had been selected, Airly undertook the challenge of delivering and assisting the installation of the sensors, and for the past 6 months they have been live and collecting valuable data.
Since the sensors have been installed, the schools have been able to help spread awareness of air quality issues within their communities. This has included anti-idling campaigns, progressive conversations informed by real data, and engaging community group meetings concerning the devices and the readings.
There are also cases where Airly’s campaign sensors are monitoring School Streets – these are schemes where roads are closed for several hours a day to reduce pollution. The real time, hourly data is helping local councils understand their long term effectiveness and build a case for more anti-pollution measures.
The results
- Evidence that there is an imbalance between the number of schools that need outdoor air quality sensors and what is available to them.
- Brand awareness and publicity for Airly’s image and mission through press covering the campaign as its sponsor.
- Added value in the form of real time air quality data to attract further interest in our products, as in many cases it was data that did not exist before in that location.
- Building relationships with local authorities, schools and other important stakeholders in communities around the country.
- Valuable information on the logistics of communicating with a large number of schools.
Ready to enhance the quality of life for your residents? Contact Airly today, and let’s join forces to achieve cleaner air and healthier communities!