Garvagh school secures funding from Lidl’s £25,000 Green Fund

St Patrick’s and St Joseph’s Primary School in Garvagh is one of six organisations and schools awarded funding by the Lidl Northern Ireland Green Fund. 

The primary school secured £4,200 in funding to develop a Biodiversity Trail on the school grounds, supporting the school’s wider commitment to sustainability and environmental learning.

The Lidl Green Fund, which launched last year in partnership with Business in the Community Northern Ireland, is designed to support local initiatives addressing key environmental challenges across climate action, biodiversity, circular economy and sustainable living. A total fund of £25,000 was awarded, with one project selected from each county across Northern Ireland.

Schools, charities and community groups from across the region applied, with each winning project receiving up to £4,200 to help deliver sustainable, community-focused initiatives. 

County Derry winners, St Patrick’s and St Joseph’s Primary School, plan to develop a biodiversity trail around the school grounds, which border Garvagh Forest. The trail will support interactive outdoor learning, with natural signage identifying a variety of plant and tree species found within the surrounding environment.

And incorporating a digital element, pupils will be able to scan QR codes along the trail, linking to an online platform featuring information researched and created by the children themselves. This will include recorded sounds of local biodiversity, along with stories and facts gathered about different species, further strengthening the school’s commitment to sustainability and environmental education.

Catherine Ball, Principal of St Patrick’s and St Joseph’s said: “As an Eco-School, this project reflects our commitment to understanding and valuing the environment around us, made up of both people and the wider natural world.

"Funding from the Lidl Green Fund will be invaluable in helping us develop our biodiversity trail and teach children the importance of caring for the natural environment in which we live, helping to secure a greener future.

"Providing a safe outdoor space where children can learn about and explore nature will be a fantastic asset to our school, supporting both pupil wellbeing and our sustainability goals.”

Elaine O’Connor, Head of Sustainability at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland commented: “The Lidl Green Fund was launched to support sustainable, local projects that aim to tackle key environmental challenges across climate and biodiversity, circular economy and sustainable living, for the benefit of towns and villages throughout Northern Ireland.

"As a responsible retailer, and leader in sustainability, we have a responsibility to educate and support our customers and the communities in which we operate to lead more sustainable lives. We are excited to see how each of our winners across Northern Ireland use the funding to create a greener future”.