Pupils and teachers from Ysgol Gymraeg have teamed up with the Greening Playgrounds Campaign and are raising money to make the outside spaces at the school more wildlife friendly, and to educate the children about the nature crises in Wales.

This is a brand new way of doing things, and is the first of it's kind in Wales!

Being part of Glasu Iard yr Ysgol is great because it means we can raise awareness amongst our pupils and their families and raise money towards helping the wildlife in our local community.

Gareth James - acting headteacher

Each term Ysgol Gymraeg is being provided with the latest edition of BuzzaBAZOO!, the Glasu Iard yr Ysgol newsletter - enough copies for each pupil to have a read, and to take a copy home to their parents. Each edition will be published in Welsh and English, and will contain:

• educational information about issues facing Welsh wildlife
• updates from participating schools
• ideas and tips for helping wildlife at home and in the garden
• features from local artists and photographers

Because Glasu Iard yr Ysgol is a new way of doing things we do not really know how much funding the campaign will generate, but we hope to raise between £500 and £1,000 over a period of 4 terms. Following the first edition of BuzzaBAZOO! in 2023 we raised just short of £100,  which was used to buy and install bird boxes at the school.

In January 2024 the school was visited by a champion for the Wales Bee Friendly Campaign, and we came up with a plan to make the school's outdoor spaces more wildlife friendly for bees and other pollinator insects, and raised the fundraising target with the aim of generating an additional £250 by Spring. The money that is raised will be used to work with the children in a practical outside session in April, during which we plan to plant a range of pollinator friendly plants.  
 

Heb natur heb ddim, fydd pobl methu byw yn y byd.

"Without nature there's nothing, people couldn't live in the world."

(Member of school Eco Committee during bird box painting workshop.)

Have fun and save the planet!

The Greening Playgrounds Campaign is also putting on a Bee Friendly fundraiser night at the Bank Vault in Aberystwyth on Friday March 22nd, to raise funds for the school, and to encourage local people to do more to help bees and other pollinator insects. Live music is to be provided by Aberystwyth heroes Misha and the Kings, with DJ Lady P on the decks. Tickets cost £10, with £5 raised for the school with every ticket sale.