Wales’ first sustainability week

Wales’ first ever Sustainability Week took place between 17-21 May, with hundreds of events being held across Wales, as part of a drive by the Welsh Assembly Government to promote a more sustainable way of living.

Seren joined forces with developer Leadbitter Group to organise a day of activities which included making bird boxes and bean bags from waste material collected from the new eco-homes riverfront development at Mariners Quay.

A mixed age group of children from Pill Primary School and Gardening Club members from Kirby Daniel Court sheltered housing scheme came together with representatives from the Gwent Wildlife Trust to learn more about birds and their natural habitat and to help make a bird box for the scheme garden with locally sourced timber.
Roger James and Rod Morris of Gwent Wildlife Trust said, “Wildlife protection is our priority and using locally sourced timber for the benefit of our feathered friends is fantastic. At the Trust we work with all groups of people, but have never worked with a Group of children and older people together … and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience!”

Women from a local Black and Minority Ethnic Group also joined in the activities at Mariners Quay to create bean bags out of polystyrene waste. Six enthusiastic ladies spent the whole morning finger-achingly breaking up the polystyrene to fill the bean bags, which will be auctioned amongst site workers, with the monies being donated to charity.

Rhys Parry, Fairlake, said, “We are pleased to be able to support the Assembly in their Wales-wide campaign to promote sustainable living and to also be working with likeminded organisations who are as committed to sustainability as we are”.

Russell Houghton, Regional Director of Leadbitter’s Western Housing Division, said: “At Leadbitter we work to promote sustainability and respect for the natural environment and to engage the community in the build process as much as possible on all our projects. Working with Seren Group and the Gwent Wildlife Trust during Sustainability Week has been a great opportunity to do both, and this activity is something we’re considering introducing on future projects.”