Fresh from winning the Business category at the inaugural Bionet Awards, the wellbeing garden at Coleg Cambria Deeside received a prestigious prize from Keep Wales Tidy.

The college’s Jobs Growth Wales+ team, which oversees maintenance of the space, was presented with the Caru Cymru (Love Wales) Business prize at the Tidy Wales Awards in Cardiff.

They were lauded for turning an empty area of the site into a clean, safe area filled with wildflowers, planters, fruit trees and habitat boxes. As well as attracting wildlife, it has provided a place of solace for staff and learners and is a base for environmental awareness sessions, inspiring other departments to create new green spaces. 

Classroom assistant Brian Valentine and a group of Jobs Growth Wales+ learners, staff and members of the Construction Trainee Academy began cultivating the 40 square-metre site less than two years ago as part of Keep Wales Tidy’s Local Places for Nature project.

He said: “We are honoured to receive the award, which focused on two areas we have been working on, wilding and growing.

“It also looked at how the project has developed and the college’s overall ethos and commitment to sustainability and biodiversity, which is hugely important to all of us.”

Samantha Moore, Cambria’s Curriculum Director for Jobs Growth Wales+ added: “We were thrilled to see the project again recognised for its social and environmental impact.

“We have laid the foundations to do even more at Deeside, alongside our staff and students, and are very proud to have been invited to be part of such a wonderful celebration of Wales and the amazing organisations who do so much to be planet positive – thank you.”

Groups and individuals from across the country were honoured at the event, hosted by S4C presenter Sian Thomas, and presenter and podcaster Chris Jones.

In a year in which Keep Wales Tidy marked 50 years of working with volunteers and partners to make Wales a more beautiful place to live, Chief Executive Owen Derbyshire said: 

“A lot has changed over the past half century; but what has remained constant is the passion and determination of the individuals, groups, schools, businesses, and other partners Keep Wales Tidy has the honour of working with. 

“They show us all what’s possible when we work together towards a common goal, and I am so proud that we are part of this impressive movement of people who care deeply about our planet and are taking action to protect it.”

Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for the latest news and information from Coleg Cambria.

For more on Keep Wales Tidy and the Tidy Wales Awards, visit www.keepwalestidy.cymru.