Welsh schoolchildren have won first place in two categories in the awards for International Young Reporters for the Environment, beating twenty other countries. The budding journalists will be rewarded for their efforts at this year’s Royal Welsh Show in a special ceremony hosted by Keep Wales Tidy and Countryside Council for Wales and supported by the Welsh Assembly Government. Jane Davidson AM, Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing, will present the certificates to the worthy winners.

Young Reporters for the Environment is an international programme, sponsored by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which operates in 21 countries throughout the world and is managed in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy. Secondary school pupils are invited to investigate a local environmental issue, produce a journalistic report or photograph and then report on their findings. The programme provides them with a vision of the professional world of journalism and may inspire them to pursue this as a career. Pupils base their project on one of a number of international topics, which include: Coastline, Cities, Agriculture and Nature, Climate Change, and Biodiversity.

The international winners are Glan-y-Môr Comprehensive School from Llanelli who won the Biodiversity category and Tonyrefail Comprehensive School from Rhondda Cynon Taff who won the Energy category. The other national winners are Holyhead High School from Anglesey.

Chief Executive of Keep Wales Tidy, Lesley Jones, said: "Young Reporters for the Environment celebrates talented young people who express a passion for protecting our planet. At Keep Wales Tidy we are delighted that the Welsh winners have received international acclaim. The winning articles are an inspiration for us all as we work together to achieve a sustainable future."

Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing, Jane Davidson AM, commented:

"I am delighted to recognise the achievements of these young reporters and congratulate them wholeheartedly on their success.

"Within Wales we have ambitious plans for the environment that include tackling climate change, accelerating the move towards renewable energy and reducing and managing the waste we produce. It is encouraging to know that we have potential journalists and politicians of the future here in Wales with a real grasp of these complex issues and a commitment to protecting our environment ."

Pupils from the three schools will receive a certificate, tickets to the Royal Welsh Show on the day of the event and a visit to the BBC Wales studios in Cardiff and Bangor. Local newspapers have also agreed to publish their stories and they will appear in the YRE Annual Book.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Keep Wales Tidy is a registered environmental charity working for the improvement of the Welsh environment. Visit our website for more information: www.keepwalestidy.org/

2. Countryside Council for Wales is the Government's statutory advisor on sustaining natural beauty, wildlife and the opportunity for outdoor enjoyment in Wales and its inshore waters.

3. The national and international winners are:

‘Pembrey Country Park: can conservation and tourism co-exist?’, written by Angharad Thorn, Chris Evans, Stuart Hurley, Kate Thomas and Scott James, aged 13–14 years old from Glan-y-Môr Comprehensive School in Llanelli.

‘Wind: coal of the future?’ written by Jason Elward and Nathan Ivey, aged 15 years old from Tonyrefail Comprehensive School, Rhondda Cynon Taff

‘Beaches of Holyhead’, written by Drew Mowbray, aged 13 years old from Holyhead High School, Anglesey

4. For more information on Young Reporters for the Environment phone Linda Wood on 029 2038 1739 or email linda.wood@keepwalestidy.org

5. Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) was established in 1995 and is one of five programmes that are run by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). The four other programmes are Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Learning about Forests and Green Key. There are currently 21 countries involved in the programme; they are: Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and Wales. YRE is managed in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy.

6. The awards ceremony will take place at the Countryside Council for Wales stand (number 808) on Tuesday 20 July at 12pm.