Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has praised Kinmel Bay school children for their environmental work after paying them a visit this week.
Darren visited Ysgol Y Foryd this week to see their work on the Keep Wales Tidy’s Local Places for Nature (LPfN) programme.
The aim of Local Places for Nature (LPfN) is to restore and enhance 'nature on your doorstep', where people live, work and access public services.
The project was driven forward by green-fingerd parent Sylvia Stanco, who volunteers to support the children and educate them about the plants fruit and vegetables that are grown.
The school is also involved in the Eco-Schools programme, which was developed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in 1994 and is run in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy.
It is designed to empower and inspire young people to make positive environmental changes to their school and wider community, while building on their skills, including numeracy and literacy, and encompassing Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship.
Darren said:
“It was an absolute pleasure to visit Ysgol y Foryd and to see for myself the great work the children have been involved in as part of Local Places for Nature and Eco Schools programmes.
“I was very impressed by the Eco Garden which was planned, developed and maintained by pupils, staff and parent helpers. I was told it had recently harvested a small amount of produce which was used in a recent tea party with Year 1 and 2 children at the school and that the opportunity to further develop the food growing area was seen to be extremely beneficial to the children’s understanding of where food comes from and the importance of nature.
“The area looks fantastic and I applaud all those involved, particularly parent Sylvia Stanco, who drove the project forward. I would also like to thank the children and staff for giving me such an excellent tour.”
Since 2020, more than 900 green spaces across the country have been created, restored and enhanced through the LPfN programme, with schools, community groups and organisations of all shapes and sizes getting involved – from disability charities and youth groups to social enterprises and carer groups.
There are still packages available, and Darren is encouraging groups and organisations to apply before the deadline.
He said:
“With packages left and this year’s application deadline approaching, time is running out for communities to apply. I would therefore encourage any group keen to play a part in reversing nature’s decline , whilst providing an important boost to the well-being of your local community, to apply before Monday November 21st.”
Darren’s visit to Ysgol y Foryd coincided with Great Big Green Week, the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature.
Between 24 September and 2 October this year, Great Big Green Week will unleash a wave of support for action to protect the planet. Tens of thousands of people in every corner of the country will celebrate the heartfelt, brave, everyday actions being taken to stand up for nature and fight climate change.
To apply for the Keep Wales Tidy packages, click on the links below (there are two categories):
Starter packages: Starter packages - Keep Wales Tidy
Development packages: Development packages - Keep Wales Tidy
