EMPOWERING CHILDREN IN WALES
The Children’s Legal CentreWales (CLC), based a t the School of Law, aims to improve the lives of children and young people inWales, and those who care for them, by providing information about their rights. A dedicated website includes information on relationships, health and wellbeing, shops and services, and why the law is different in Wales, amongst other things. Professor Simon Hoffman and his team were keen to improve the accessibility of the content for disabled children and disabled carers, in particular those with hearing or visual impairment. The Children’s Legal Centre was awarded £2,775 from The Greatest Need Fund for a student-led project producing audio versions of materials and infographics, as well as short British Sign Language (BSL) videos to accompany audio as well as visual content. Through the generous support of alumni and friends, this resource will make a significant difference to the lives of disabled children and young people, and disabled caregivers in Wales, helping them make informed life choices and empowering them to exercise their rights.
STAY HOME AND COUNT BUGS
The Stay Home and Count Bugs project aims to encourage staff and students (and their friends and families) out into their gardens and local green spaces during lockdown and beyond. Swansea University’s Dr Wendy Harris has been working with PhD student Ben Clunie, local entomologist Liam Olds and Dr Mike Wilson, Principal Entomology Curator at the National Museum of Wales Cardiff, to create an accessible project for both experienced invertebrate recorders and those new to the joys of insect identification and recording. Thanks to The Greatest Need Fund, they have succeeded in creating a community of like-minded individuals who are keen to learn and share their experience. More than 50 participants have completed over 120 invertebrate surveys this summer. The data will be invaluable for understanding more about how invertebrates use our gardens and urban spaces. It will also be shared with local records centres, contributing to the national database, and providing insights on changes in species distributions and population levels, as well as helping to monitor biodiversity loss. Training courses will encourage participants to learn more about invertebrate ID, and the role of invertebrates in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Guest speakers, including Andrew Lucas, former PhD student at Swansea University’s Biosciences department, have covered a range of topics from citizen science projects, such as the RHS Cellar Slug Hunt, to the role of hoverflies as pollinators, and the importance of biological recording.
To join our team contact Wendy w.e.harris@swansea. ac.uk or follow us on Twitter @CountBugs.
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