ScottishPower Foundation and DangerPoint help children in North Wales go greener and enjoy a sustainable future

Young people across North Wales will soon be reaching for the stars in their quest to learn about sustainability and climate change thanks to funding provided by the ScottishPower Foundation to Flintshire-based education activity centre, DangerPoint.

The Foundation’s £35,000 funding has supported a new ‘Sustainable Futures’ exhibit – an interactive space-themed display to help children and young people learn how to live a sustainable life and support climate change action.

The exciting exhibit takes off with a ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Rocket’ display, developed with insights and feedback from local school children and Flintshire County Council’s ‘Streetscene’ Team. The interactive experience takes children on board a space rocket to virtually sort types of rubbish into recycling and waste bins in a group challenge set against the clock.

The new feature supports the Welsh Government’s target of becoming a zero-waste nation by 2050 by moving towards a circular economy of reducing, reusing and recycling. Meeting this target requires a fundamental shift in how everyone thinks and acts, and the new ‘Sustainable Futures’ display will encourage visitors to look beyond recycling and work towards reducing waste and reusing materials whenever possible.

It will help inspire young people to develop their awareness of climate change issues, while giving them practical skills to make greener changes to their own behaviours and encourage others to do the same.

The aim is to encourage visitors from across North Wales to become ‘Sustainability Champions’ who will take these important messages back home to inspire change within their communities.

Julie Evans, Centre Manager at DangerPoint said: “Thanks to the funding from the ScottishPower Foundation, we have the opportunity to empower children and young people with the knowledge and skills that they need to make greener choices in their own lives.

“The launch of the Sustainable Futures’ display comes at a critical point time in terms of the climate crisis, and we are proud to be able to equip young people with the tools they need to lead sustainable lives and ultimately protect the planet. With the upcoming COP26 UN Climate Change Summit firmly on the news agenda, it’s great to be able to support the Welsh Government’s 2050 net zero target and help accelerate Wales into a greener era.”

Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation: “For Wales to become a zero-waste nation by 2050, we all have a part to play in recycling more and making sustainable choices that reduce waste.

“DangerPoint’s new interactive exhibit will help children and young people across North Wales understand the impact of climate change and how the decisions they make impact the environment around them. It will also showcase how people power can make a real difference and help protect the planet for generations to come.

“It’s great to see this project take off just a few weeks before COP26 gets underway in Glasgow and I’m sure it will prove to be very popular. I’m proud that ScottishPower Foundation funding is helping to support such vital work.”

DangerPoint joins two other Welsh charities – Size of Wales and Action for M.E. – in receiving a share of almost £1.2 million funding from the ScottishPower Foundation, which supports projects that make a positive impact on people and communities across the country. The Foundation aims to make a lasting contribution to society while enhancing people’s quality of life across areas including art and culture, education and empowerment, citizenship and society, and biodiversity and climate change.

The ScottishPower Foundation was established in 2013 to make a significant and lasting contribution to society, enhancing the lives of people living in communities throughout the UK. It provides funding to help support the advancement of education, environmental protection, arts and culture and citizenship. It also supports charities who aim to provide relief from poverty, disability, or other disadvantages.

Further information on the Foundation can be found at scottishpowerfoundation.com