Members from Pembrokeshire Federation of Women's Institutes are supporting local schools in their area to create and develop gardening projects in order to teach primary school children about wildlife, the environment and food. This project aims to: Develop and foster children's enthusiasm, interest, appreciation and enjoyment of the natural environment and; stimulate children to take an interest in making links between food production, healthy eating and sustainable development. The project is part of a Wales-wide project being co-ordinated by the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) Wales and funded by the Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust. NFWI-Wales has secured funding of £19,270 to train and support WI members to take part in the project. The project has recently secured sponsorship from Westland - a leading player in growing media plant food and lawn care markets - who is supplying packs of Multi Purpose Compost with added John Innes to support the school gardens. Pembrokeshire Federation has appointed a voluntary co-ordinator who is supporting and advising local WIs on setting up and developing their projects. WI members are being supported to forge links with local schools and an Information Day is being organised on January 31 at WI House in Haverfordwest. Sixteen schools from the Pembrokeshire area have already registered an interest in the project. Ann Newbery, project co-ordinator, said: "This is an exciting new project launched by NFWI Wales to develop gardening projects with local primary schools. The project will teach children about wildlife, the environment and food through practical gardening and conservation work. This is an attempt to increase the time spent by children playing and learning outdoors, to help address the dramatic rise in childhood obesity, and increase children's knowledge about food and the countryside."
