Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Last week I was delighted to attend Fochriw Primary School’s red kite celebration fair-trade coffee afternoon. The red kite project at the school is designed to develop the pupils to be ethically informed and to hold strong values about the environment and the nature that is around them. For the project, the school formed an eco-committee, which came up with a range of ideas, including a pupil voice and ownership of the project, three school rules, which were to be respectful, to be responsible, and to be safe, and, as part of this, pupils were encouraged to be even more respectful to wildlife, both in and out of school, to develop their digital and real-life skills, and to promote Cwricwlwm Cymraeg, with the story of the red kite in Wales. The project gave pupils a realisation that nature is all around us, if only we open our eyes. As they said, it is really special, and we need to be responsible in looking after it now and for future generations.

Arising from their activity, the project has not only raised awareness of the red kite, but has also raised money, enabling the school to make a donation to the Gwent Ornithological Society, which uses the money to replace nest boxes in the Goytre House wood. The pupils embarked on an intensive social media campaign to share their experiences of the project and provide information on the red kite, which is regularly seen in the area around Fochriw, and in the wider Rhymney valley.

The project received its well-earned recognition when it recently won the 2017 Young People’s Trust for the Environment’s Better Energy School award, for the Wales and west region. Can I ask Assembly Members to join me in congratulating Fochriw Primary School on its award, and applauding their fantastic work on the red kite project, and in raising awareness of the environmental issues amongst young people, whilst at the same time developing their digital skills? Diolch.