Green spaces for healthy minds: Revitalising Wrexham.

The Green Infrastructure Project in Wrexham has been pivotal in providing a new lease of life to outdoor areas. Jacinta Challinor leads the project, which partners with North Wales Wildlife Trust and Keep Wales Tidy to create a unique collaboration for a unified approach, tackling issues such as litter and flytipping, habitat improvements and community action. 

The project has focused heavily on improving urban green spaces in Caia Park and Plas Madoc; developing fantastic partnerships with community groups such as Gwenfro Adventure Playground and The Land as well as schools such as Ysgol Cae’r Gwenyn. These partnerships have created a lasting legacy for years to come, bringing communities closer to nature and developing a sense of ownership of the land and sparked feelings of environmental stewardship through them.   

The aims of the project, as outlined below, are based on the well-being of the local environment and people.  

• Improve green infrastructure within Caia Park and Plas Madoc. 

• Create dense, structural tree planting to reduce the noise and air pollution effects of heavy traffic along a key arterial transport route into Wrexham. 

• Develop volunteer networks within Wrexham to engage the community in caring for and improving the environmental quality of their green space.

 The project’s uniqueness is unequivocally clear considering its openness to providing support to organisations, schools and individuals alike through funding from the Welsh Government. 

There is a clear understanding that green spaces matter to all generations. However, the importance of projects aimed at improving the quality of life of young people in the area is not only a heartwarming gesture for the present day, but it is also without a doubt a massive positive for the future. Through this project children in Wrexham are now engaging with nature, whether it’s planting fruit trees in orchards, or learning about the ranging wildlife that live on their doorstep. 

Beyond the impact on the children in both areas is the impact on the community. Each project represents a partnership, and subsequently an investment in both the staff and volunteers. Speaking about Gwenfro Adventure Playground Jacinta praised them: 

“They have been learning how to traditionally manage the land over the summer, taking part in the creation of the meadow in spring and scything training courses more recently” 

Certainly, the Green Infrastructure Project represents the battle for increased climate action through the enlightenment of people and habitat improvement of urban green spaces. If we introduce community-led climate action at an early age, we can be very hopeful of reaping its rewards from its impact on young people’s attitudes to the environment later in life. Governments around the world should harness their motivation for positive developments at COP26 from projects such as these. 

Learn more about the work being done by visiting the Green Infrastructure Project’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/greeninfrastructureproject/