FSC Rhyd-y-creuau have been working on a project called the ‘Wellbeing Walkway’. It started from a discussion in a sustainability meeting to connect sustainability, seasons, habitat and people together. FSC Rhyd-y-creuau staff wanted to share their grounds with visitors, especially the views of the farmland that surrounds the Centre and of Carnedd Moel Siabod on the horizon. Through the Green Fund 2018 and with much advice from Tom Deacon, they were able to secure money to fund the project. The official start of construction was on the 21st January 2019 and the video below shows one-month progress of work being done to create the Wellbeing Walkway.
The main objective of the walkway is not only to provide structure to the centre grounds, but also to create a safe space for staff, visitors and students to enjoy in their own time. FSC Rhyd-y-creuau aims to achieve the FSC’s value of ‘a caring attitude’ by transcending beyond caring solely for academic progress (i.e. doing well in field work) and work, but also to care for the student and staff mental health and wellbeing. Hence, the walkway will be a space where students and staff can escape to during stressful times of day. We also seek to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages. The walkway is a big step forward in striving to achieve this.
As the FSC provides environmental education for all, FSC Rhyd-y-creuau also recognises that education and wellbeing are closely linked, as reported by Public Health England and they hope that this walkway may help students and staff towards having a healthy and happy mind.
The walkway will serve as a tour around the grounds where it will go through interesting aspects of the centre, such as the polytunnel, biodiversity garden, the view to the surrounding mountains including Carnedd Moel Siabod, and the pond etc. This will give visitors and staff the opportunity to engage themselves with the surroundings as they follow the trail, perhaps picking fresh strawberries from the biodiversity garden as they go!
The walkway has been constructed by Conwy Council Work Opportunities group, a team of adults with learning difficulties who are organised into work by this local council scheme. The Wellbeing Walkway is the beginning of a much larger grounds improvement project with the possibility to include art pieces, interpretation and inspiring/thought-provoking messages for students and staff to engage with while getting some fresh air and time away from desks.
A special thanks to Helen MacRae and members of staff in the FSC Rhyd-y-creuau sustainability committee.
