Support The Boardwalk group of Broad Haven has benefited from free National Garden Gift vouchers thanks to the ‘Have a Wild Weekend’ campaign run by Keep Wales Tidy and funded by Welsh Government’s Nature Fund.

More than 70 Volunteers from Support The Boardwalk rolled up their sleeves and gave pollinators a helping hand when they found out they had been successful in applying for £500 which they used to buy 700 pollinating plants

The aim of the ‘Have a Wild Weekend’ campaign is to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, as well as to help communities create new habitats and food sources for pollinators by planting wild flower havens in unused spaces.

‘Have a Wild Weekend’ is part of the ‘Natural Buzz’ initiative run by Keep Wales Tidy, in partnership with the Horticultural Trade Association and Green Space Wales and funded by the Welsh Government’s Nature Fund.

Community environmental groups, schools, businesses, charitable organisations and local authorities across Wales were asked to apply for a ‘Wild Weekend’ grant of up to £500 to help them in their pollinator improvement projects.

As part of their environmental project, Support The Boardwalk held an open afternoon event during which more than 70 children and adults prepared 200 square meters of soil and planted 700 plug plants that will create a Pollinating Widflower Meadow at the Slashpond Boardwalk picnic area. Children were also kept amused at craft tables, where they leaned about the insects, birds and flowers. The creation of two mini-beast mansions proved very popular attractions, one was named Bug-ingham Palace ! Local Girl Guides donated bug hotels they had made and these were housed in local shrubbery.

Lynn Garner from Support the Boardwalk said,
“We were thrilled when we found out that we’d been successful in applying in for Garden Centre vouchers. ‘Wild Weekend’ has enabled us to make a huge improvement to the pollen and nectar that’s on offer in the Slashpond Boardwalk, Broad Haven and hopefully this will benefit our local environment and wildlife, as well as the local community.”

Lesley Jones, Chief Executive of Keep Wales Tidy, said:
“I am delighted that so many groups across Wales got involved to help our pollinators and their natural environment. They have planted new flowering plants to attract our bees and butterflies as well as giving existing habitats a helping hand. Keep Wales Tidy would like to thank the Welsh Government for all their support, ensuring that the ‘Have a Wild Weekend’ has been a great success for people across Wales!”