Celebrating Cumbernauld’s future

The sun was shining, the bees were buzzing and the town was buzzing too as Cumbernauld prepared for Friday’s visit from the Queen. She spent her time at Greenfaulds High School, where she met with pupils and community members while being treated to a performance from the North Lanarkshire Council School’s Pipe Band.

Greenfaulds is just one of the schools we’re working with as part of our mission to connect more young people in Cumbernauld with the nature on their doorstep. Our 6-month Natural Connections programme supports pupils as they make improvements to their local greenspaces, learning new skills and building confidence along the way.

The royal event was called ‘a celebration of Cumbernauld’s past and future’. Cumbernauld has been through a lot of changes during the Queen’s time. Designated a New Town only two years into her reign, we’ve seen our greenspaces shrink and become fewer and farther between. There are fewer homes for wildlife, and we seem to be spending less and less time outdoors.

But with the help of our partners, our volunteers and programme participants we’re beginning to reverse the trend. At a recent consultation on improvements to St Maurice’s Pond we were delighted by the number of young people who not only knew that the site is an amazing place for wildlife, but also valued that wildlife and wanted to know more about it.

Our habitats and access projects may be helping to shape Cumbernauld’s future now, but it’s the talented young people we work with who will be shaping its future for years to come. Contact us if you would like your school to get involved.