Winner of the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Landscape Award Announced

The AONB Partnership agreed to award this year’s AONB Landscape Award to Ysgol y Foel, Cilcain, in recognition of the huge achievement of the School’s Decarbonisation Project. The school has been entirely remodelled and was now housed in a building that was totally carbon neutral.

84 solar panels had been installed, these solar panels would take in U-V light and convert it to usable electricity via a big inverter. The school now make their own electricity to power their lights, charge computers, and run an air source heating system. A new battery system stores energy produced over the holidays and when the school is closed and stores it for term times.   The school now produce more energy than they need – exporting the surplus to the National Grid.

The pupils at the school have been involved every step of the way learning about climate change and the importance of moving towards a more sustainable way of living and working. The school were able to meet most of the refit costs from a grant from the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB’s Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) which comes from Welsh Government. Flintshire County Council also provided support for the project by providing a loan, which was being paid back from the savings made on energy bills.

In addition to the decarbonisation project, the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley AONB Sustainable Development Fund also contributed to an outdoor classroom. This would be used for other local schools to come and visit and learn about the decarbonisation path to net zero and to study the wide variety of flora and fauna the school has (when restrictions allow) across the school grounds and demonstrating how like Ysgol Y Foel they too could achieve net zero and become a sustainable school for future generations.

The AONB make the award every year to a community, individual or business that has made an outstanding contribution to the landscape of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB and the AONB were are delighted that this year the award was is recognising the work at Ysgol y Foel, a school that was within the AONB that is and leading the way in this vital matter.

Many congratulations to Ysgol y Foel and all those involved.

More information about the Sustainable Development Fund can be found here: https://www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/projects/the-sustainable-development-fund/