Schools, groups and volunteers’ environmental work across Caerphilly County Borough has been recognised at an annual awards ceremony.
The Pride In Your Place ceremony was held at the Blackwood Miners’ Institute to celebrate the hard work undertaken by residents to boost the local environment.
The Sirhowy Valley Honey Bee Company clinched the overall award for their efforts in helping to stimulate local bee populations, as well as developing a honey education centre in Ynysddu.
In August last year, around 80,000 honeybees were homed in the grounds of Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Penallta House headquarters in Tredomen.
The Ynysddu education centre helps to teach groups of all ages learn about the importance of pollinators in supporting a healthy food chain.
Other award winners included; Tyn Y Wern Primary School for taking part in community clean-ups and creating habitats for hedgehogs; Fochriw Primary School for their salmon hatchery project; and Pengam Primary School for making their school a more attractive place to learn and visit.
Volunteer Daryl Resting was crowned the evening’s Environmental Champion for her work on litter clearance and bird box installations in and around the Caerphilly Basin.
Cllr Nigel George, Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services said: “Individuals, community groups and schools from across Caerphilly county borough are going the extra mile to make our environment cleaner and greener.
“This year the standard of projects has reached another level, with a number of them receiving national recognition for their innovation and commitment.”