Video transcript
I retired from teaching in July 2004 and after a brief rest I decided that I wanted to
become involved with something.
I’d seen the red kites in Wales and fell in love with them. I was very excited when I
heard that there was going to be a project so close to home as I live in Whickham,
close to where the red kites were being released. I love working outside and with
people and this seemed an excellent project to become involved with. I was also
especially pleased when I heard that they were going to involve the local schools.
The project set up adopt a kite project. It was launched in 2004. Over 100 schools
across the region were involved in the scheme. Joining the scheme is free, all the
schools have to do is to name their kite. Some of the names are quite fantastic,
things like Jammydodger, Fantastic Flying Fiona and Centurion who was the 100th
kite to be adopted. Schools receive regular updates on their kite in the form of
newsletters and postcards. But the most important thing is the involvement of the
schools with the kites. Once they have a kite with a number on and a name, it’s their
kite and they own it.
The Northern Kites project also teamed up with Gateshead to use kites to encourage
people to be more environmentally friendly with Sprite the Kite. A sustainability
leaflet was distributed to every school across the region and all the Gateshead
schools. Schools who do really well receive a Sprite award.
Northern Kites also deliver in school activities like assemblies and activity sessions.
Also, schools come out to see kites in the wild and many schools have been to see
the nest site and observe the other wild life on their way to the site.
Children at Rowlands Gill Primary School see kites every day and they have their
school badge, a red kite mosaic, totem pole and bench in the scholl grounds.
Children at Fellside School have a red kite gazebo.
Personally, I’ve made a lot of friends becoming involved with the project and enjoyed
seeing lots of the local wildlife. But perhaps the most special thing for me is seeing
the chicks arrive in heir boxes, being fed, growing up and then the release.
One of the most important things for me is actually releasing number 21. I saw it
grow up, I released it and whenever I see it I think ‘ah, that’s my kite’.
