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Education

Arts & sciences cross pollinate

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Pollinators: Facing huge declines

Pollinators: Facing huge
declines

PROFESSOR ANDREA LIGGINS (photographic artist, Honorary Research Fellow and retired Dean of Art and Design at the UWTSD) and Professor Mike Christie (Head of Aberystwyth University’s School of Management and Business), have recently attained £36,000 funding.

The funding has come from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for a pioneering project that will combine Art with Science to explore new insights into perceptions of the value of honeybees and other wild pollinators and how this new knowledge might best be used to influence conservation policy decisions.

The ‘Cross-pollination’ project will address these issues through the development of a collaborative network that brings together prestige and award-winning artists and scientists from the UK, Ireland and the USA along with key stakeholders including Dr Natasha De Vere (National Botanic Garden of Wales (NGBW)), Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Buglife.

Pollinators are facing huge declines across the world due to habitat destruction, pests, diseases, intensification of farming, biodiversity loss and climate change. There is evidence to suggest that the ways in which pollinators are perceived and valued has significant implications for their conservation.

The Cross-pollination project will provide an opportunity for experts from different disciplines to share ideas, discuss values, and develop strategies for inter-disciplinary research and dissemination, with a particular focus on working collaboratively to produce exhibitions of artwork that challenge perceptions, that help demonstrate the benefits that pollinators provide and highlight the decline in pollinator populations.

Professor Liggins said: “By drawing on existing networks, the Cross-pollination project will bring together key scientists, artists and stakeholders to participate in a series of exploratory arts workshops that will explore theories of aesthetics, sensory perception, differences in perspectives and language, and investigate possible creative interactions and partnerships”.

“People often think of scientists and artists as being at opposite ends of the spectrum in their work life, even though they may share the same interests in music, theatre and sports for example.

“It is true that they can work in very different ways and see the world differently, and even use a different language when talking about their work.

“However, they share a lot of similarities; they are usually passionate about what they do, and do not usually work a 9 to 5 day, but their work can occupy their time, and their thoughts, day and night. Often, for both scientists and artists, their work is a leap into the unknown, and both groups ask the question: ‘What if?’”

Andrea has collaborated with Natasha De Vere (NBGW) on the Barcode Wales project and other UK projects, exhibiting the photography in China and India and at the National Eisteddfod, Llanelli in 2014.

“Artists and scientists have different training and this affects their views of the world. Working with artists helps me see the work from alternative perspectives, helping me come up with new ideas and think more creatively” explains Dr Natasha de Vere.

Prof Mike Christie said: “Over the past 20 years I have been involved in many research projects that have utilised natural science and economic methods to provide evidence to justify and target nature conservation policies.

“What is novel and exciting about the Cross-pollination project is that we will highlight how art can be used to demonstrate a multitude of ways in which people value nature and explore how this new evidence might best feed into the design of nature conservation policies”.

It is envisaged that around 10 pieces of art will be generated as part of this project and that they will be on display next year at NBGW, Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm, the Heart of Wales Railway line, as well as in China.

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Education

Don’t miss out on help with school essentials

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88% of those eligible have claimed their free School Essentials grant to help with costs like school uniform, shoes, bags, sports kit and equipment. Have you claimed yours?

Children of families on lower incomes who receive certain benefits, those seeking asylum and children in care can claim £125 per year to help with school costs. Because of the extra cost families might face when their children start secondary school, £200 is available for eligible pupils going into year 7. It could also mean extra funding for your school.

There’s still time to check eligibility and apply for this year’s funding now before applications close on 31 May.

You can apply every year for each of your children. Pupils from all kinds of education settings are eligible as long as they are aged 5-16. This applies to pupils in all schools and settings, including special schools and pupil referral units.

Headteacher of Ysgol Gymunedol Trimsaran, Steffan Jones, explained how the grant helps pupils at his school: “You want every child to be treated the same, and you want every child to have the same experiences. These grants do help, so that all children can get involved and enjoy their time at school, not just those who can afford it.”

The grant can be used to pay for:

  • school uniform, including coats and shoes.
  • school activities, like learning a musical instrument, sports kit and equipment for after school activities.
  • classroom essentials, like pens, pencils and bags.

Even if your child already receives a Free School Meal, you still need to check eligibility to access the School Essentials Grant and extra funding for your school. To find out more about the Schools Essentials Grant and to check eligibility, visit Get help with school costs | GOV.WALES

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Charity

Bags of Books returns to Milford Haven and surrounding areas this Easter

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THE INFAMOUS Bags of Books is set to return to Milford Haven and surrounding areas over the Easter holidays.

Milford Haven School who launched the project with Milford Youth Matters over 3 years ago are continuing in their bid to improve literacy skills and encourage a love of reading for pleasure by giving away over 700 books.

Thanks to funding from the South Hook LNG Community grant they have purchased books for young people of all ages and reading abilities and will be hanging them on the fences of the schools in their catchment area.

The community are invited to come and choose a book from the following locations over the Easter holidays:

  • Neyland Community Primary School – Monday 25th March
  • Johnston Community Primary School – Tuesday 26th March
  • Coastlands Primary School – Wednesday 27th March
  • Gelliswick Primary School – Tuesday 2nd April
  • Milford Haven Community Primary – Wednesday 3rd April
  • St Francis Community Primary – Wednesday 3rd April

Milford Haven Secondary School will also hang over 150 books on their fence after the Easter Holidays on Wednesday 10th April for those in our community who cannot attend the other locations.

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Education

Milford Haven School’s Aspire Celebration Evening 2024 

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THIS week, Milford Haven School celebrated the achievements of Year 11 pupils from the Class of 2023 at the Milford Haven School’s Aspire Celebration Evening.

Chair of Governors Dayle Gibby opened the evening by welcoming past pupils, parents and carers and guests from the community as they joined together to proudly celebrate the outstanding achievements of their past pupils. Mr Gibby said “Tonight is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate your achievements academically, and achievements that go far beyond the classroom like sporting, musical, through drama, enterprise, environmental and those that reach into the heart of community. Throughout your time here you have all showed, resilience, determination, and aspiration. With these attributes you have set yourself targets and goals to achieve, manage difficult problems and overcome unexpected events.”

The annual Aspire Celebration evening recognises the exceptional talents, dedication, and hard work demonstrated by these pupils throughout their academic journey. The evening was an enjoyable one that showcased the remarkable accomplishments of the young people, highlighting their academic excellence, leadership skills,and contributions to the school and wider community. Among the many accolades awarded were prizes for outstanding academic achievement, extra-curricular participation, personal development and services to the community.

One of the highlights of the evening was the inspiring address from guest speaker and former pupil of the former Milford Haven Grammar School Ms Makala Jones. Pupils, staff and guests were captivated and inspired by her stories of cold water swimming and how joining the world renowned Blue Tits changed her life and played a big part in her accomplishments of recently swimming the English Channel completely solo. Her motivational speech, insights and personal anecdotes resonated deeply with the entire audience, encouraging them to pursue their passions fearlessly, love themselves completely and embrace opportunities that lie ahead. 

As pupils received their well-deserved awards, there was an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment filling the room. Headteacher Ms Morris said “This evening is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our young people. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and the positive impact they have made on our school community. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the prize winners. I have no doubt that you will continue to excel in whatever task you choose to do next. I am personally proud of each and every one of you and wish you continued success in your future endeavours.”

For more information and a full list of prize winners please visit: www.milfordhavenschool.co.uk/aspirecelebrationevening 

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