Dunclug Primary School from Ballymena has been awarded £10000 as part of the School Pollinator Garden Grants scheme, which is delivered by Live Here Love Here.
Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the scheme made £2.2 million available to schools, colleges and universities across Northern Ireland, in the form of capital grants ranging from £3,000 to £12,000.
The grants, which were open to projects in both rural and urban settings, will cover 100 per cent of costs to schools, colleges and universities wishing to establish, enhance or develop a pollinator garden and increase pollinator-friendly land-management techniques.
Principal Alastair Beacom said:
“We are over the moon to have received this Live Here, Love Here grant. Although we are situated within Ballymena, we are defined as a rural school by the Department of Education and that is something that we are fiercely proud of. Outdoor learning is a huge part of our school curriculum and we have seen the academic benefits of this.
“This grant will ensure that we can build on the progress and further revamp our outdoor learning areas, a fruit tree orchard, a wild flower meadow and various flower garden areas. Ultimately, the aim is to improve biodiversity, the health and wellbeing of our staff and pupils, and our local environment.”
The School Pollinator Garden Grants, which received applications during April, were open to open to any educational establishment registered with the Department of Education in a rural or urban area. These included: pre-schools; primary schools; post-primary schools; further education colleges; and universities. Funded projects were required to enhance the environmental quality of school grounds or campuses by sowing a variety of plants for pollinators. They were also required to provide opportunities for outdoor learning.
Applicants were asked to demonstrate how they would maintain the areas planted in the three years to follow and how pupils or students would be engaged in the project. They were also required to show how proportionate the amount of funding requested for capital items would be in relation to the level of pollinating plants needed.
Helen Tomb, Live Here Love Here Manager, commented:
“It’s been a great pleasure to deliver the School Pollinator Garden Grants scheme.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for schools to accessthe capital they need to create a garden that will introduce much-needed pollinators into their local environment and provide excellent learning opportunities for pupils.
“As always, we encourage as many groups as possible to reach out to us if they want to ‘Live Here Love Here’.”
For further information on Live Here Love Here, visit www.liveherelovehere.org.