Llangattock Green Valleys Community Interest Company (LGV) has awarded Crickhowell High School a £2,000 grant to help build and equip a new greenhouse.

The school is one of nine successful applicants to benefit from a share of the local sustainable energy group’s Community Fund, which this year has awarded grants totalling £12,000 for sustainable projects that address the climate and nature emergencies.

The greenhouse project is the brainchild of the School’s Eco Committee, which involves learners from Years 8 and 9 and is coordinated by Director of Humanities, Mark Jones.

“This is fantastic news,” said Mr Jones.

“The Eco Committee did all the work themselves, from the initial idea through to deciding what they wanted to include in the grant application. Now we’ve secured the funding, we can finalise the design and start sourcing the materials, to ensure it’s a fully sustainable project.”

The Eco Committee will be looking to use local suppliers and expects to start building the greenhouse over the summer term. They plan to use the completed greenhouse to grow a range of food crops and to help promote wellbeing and biodiversity.

Income for the Community Fund comes from the profits generated by five micro-hydro schemes set up and run by LGV with the aim of providing clean renewable energy plus money for local projects.

This is the second year the Fund has awarded grants, with other successful applicants for 2025 including: Black Mountains College Society, Crickhowell and Villages Flood Warden Scheme, Friends of St Catwg’s, Llangasty Hall, Llangattock Community Woodlands, Llangattock Litter pickers, Llangattock Village Society, Llangynidr Community Wellbeing Group.

Last year the fund supported a range of projects, including providing volunteering opportunities in woodland management and educational outreach; a regenerative horticulture project in a primary school; purchase of litter picking equipment; and restoration of an overnight hiking shelter.

LGV Chair Simon Walter said: “We’re delighted to see the Community Fund doing good and making a real difference: that was always our aim. Crickhowell High School’s Eco Committee submitted a really well thought-out application, and we look forward to following the progress of their project,and those of our other successful applicants, over the coming months and years.