Pupils urge residents to keep Brackla tidy

A pupil from Brackla is helping to encourage residents to keep their community tidy.

Seven-year-old Kaja Mikluszewska, who goes to Brackla Primary School, designed a poster to change people’s attitudes towards litter in their communities, and was picked as the winner from more than 500 entries.

The Brackla…Love it, don’t trash it! campaign is a collaboration between Bridgend County Borough Council, Keep Wales Tidy and Brackla Community Council, together with SeaQuest.

At the start of the year, children from Archdeacon John Lewis, Brackla Primary, Tremains Primary and Ysgol Bro Ogwr learned about the damaging effects of rubbish on their local environment by carrying out litter picks in their communities and taking part in workshops.

Pupils then designed anti-litter posters as part of a local competition. Judging was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic but all schools have now been sent certificates for their winners.

Kaja’s poster has now been made into signs which will be displayed on streets around Brackla to encourage people not to drop litter and to reduce, reuse and recycle.

The other winners were Charley Richards, a pupil at Archdeacon John Lewis, Charly Webb, who goes to Tremains Primary and Freddie Davey, a pupil at Ysgol Bro Ogwr.

Bridgend County Borough Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for resources Councillor Hywel Williams said: “Congratulations to all of the winners in our Love it, don’t trash it! poster competition. Pupils from all schools showed enthusiasm for the project and we were really impressed by all of the posters.

“Kaja’s poster was picked as the overall winner because of its colourful rainbow design and ‘Build a better Brackla’ message.

“Each school has now received a litter-picking kit to help them keep up their good work. Well done to all of the children who have got involved for setting such a good example to their communities.”

The Brackla…Love it, don’t trash it! campaign is a continuation of work carried out by the Cleaner Streets Project Team in Porthcawl, Pyle, Kenfig Hill, Corneli and Cefn Cribwr to raise awareness about litter and the problems it causes.

The project team will continue to work with Brackla Community Council to set up a litter-picking hub in the New Year.