Pupils helping their schools to achieve their eco-friendly goals

Pupils from years 7, 8 & 9 at Ysgol Bryn Hyfryd and Ysgol Dinas Brân recently rolled up their sleeves and got stuck into some gardening to help their schools achieve some of their eco-friendly goals.

Both schools undertook gardening projects, facilitated by the Council’s Llwybrau service, which saw young people plant 320 wild bulbs across both schools, with Ysgol Bryn Hyfryd also planting 12 fruit trees to grow an orchard. The projects are supporting the schools’ wider projects around biodiversity, applying for Bee Friendly status and recycling of materials.

Llwybrau supports young people in Denbighshire to reduce their risk of disengagement from education, provide support to re-engage in education or to move into employment or training at the end of year 11. The overall aim is to tackle one of the main causes of long-term poverty.

Through these projects, Llwybrau were able to support the young people to engage with science and maths through alternative education and to help boost their self-esteem and social skills.

Llwybrau were successful in obtaining a grant from Keep Wales Tidy to be able to deliver the projects at the schools which also included the installation of hedgehog, bee and bug houses, educational books for the schools and tools to take care of the plants and fruit trees as they grow.

The project at Ysgol Bryn Hyfryd will provide ongoing benefits to the school who will utilise the fruit as the trees in their new orchard grow for their cooking departments as well as being able to provide healthy snacks for young people.

Geraint Davies, Denbighshire County Council’s Head of Education Services, said: “It’s fantastic to see pupils at Ysgol Bryn Hyfryd and Ysgol Dinar Brân enthusiastically engaging in alternative education that will not only support their educational and personal development, but also help their schools become more environmentally and nature friendly.

“This has been a great example of partnership working between the schools, Llwybrau and Keep Wales Tidy in supporting young people to re-engage with their education in a practical way and develop valuable skills that will be transferable to many other areas of their lives now and in the future.”

Llwybrau has received £1,308,418 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.