Carmarthen children help with woodland project

Children from Carmarthen’s Richmond Park School have turned their hands to landscape design in a bid to create a welcoming woodland area for their community.
They were asked to come up with ideas for an area of woodland between Park Hall and Priory Street, which has been overgrown and unused for many years.
The project is being led by members of Tenants and Residents of East Carmarthen (TREC), who have successfully bid for a Local Environmental Quality grant.
The Environmental Works Project, which delivers environmental improvements as part of the Carmarthenshire County Council’s £203million Carmarthenshire Homes Standard, has been assisting TREC and the community in developing the project and is contributing towards the funding.
They wanted to involve the school’s eco committee to allow the children to share their visions for the area, and have also brought the local family centre, Father’s Club and youth services on board.
Maria Louise Evans, Community Engagement Officer, said: “This is a community driven project which has proven how effective partnership working can be.
“Members of TREC worked hard to secure the funding for the scheme, and have got the whole community involved.
“The children’s sketches will be incorporated in to the finished design, which we hope to have completed within the next few months.”
The woodlands are located on Carmarthenshire County Council housing land, and have been prone to fly-tipping over the years.
At the beginning of the year, probation services spent several days clearing the area, trimming trees and removing rubbish to allow a natural opening.
Sam, one of Richmond Park’s pupils, said: “This could be a lovely area for all people - a place to sit and play.”
Fellow pupil, Natalie, said: “It'll be great for us to visit and sketch the trees and flowers.”