ST KEVIN’S College, Lisnaskea has been awarded £11,000 as part of a brand-new Rural Community Pollinator Grants Scheme.
The initiative, financed by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and managed by the civic-pride campaign ‘Live Here Love Here’ is designed to allow community groups and schools across rural areas in the North to benefit from funding between £3,000 to £12,000 to establish, enhance or develop a local community pollinator garden.
The pilot scheme, which made £1.5 million available for 2021/22 aims to cover 95% of costs to community groups and schools wishing to embark on the community environmental project.
Successful grant applicants were required to illustrate their plans to maximise pollinator-friendly land-management techniques to increase the biodiversity value of an area by planting for pollinators, and to transform unused spaces into valued community spaces, adding habitats and greening-up formerly grey areas.
Local community group spokesperson and school principal Gary Kelly said, “We plan to use the money to create a series of wildlife gardens/meadows, roof top gardens and biodiversity/pollinator education programmes with the help of primary schools.
“We hope that by this grant it will enable St Kevin’s College and a selection of local primary schools to transform local spaces into wildlife garden and areas that will promote biodiversity and habitat for natural pollinators.
“It is also hoped that by creating a biodiversity education plan we will ensure that this good work will be sustainable long into the future. It is recognised that global warming and the loss of natural habitat our environment is at a tipping point and it is hoped by starting this project we can help reverse the impact of global change and habitat change in our area.
“Our plans for the future is that by the creation of these wildlife gardens education programmes will last long into the future and help change the habits of many in our community, the Live Here Love Here team have been helpful in the realisation of this aim.”
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