An initiative that encourages young people to take social responsibility, look after their environment and give back to their community has received funding from the Guardian Angel Foundation.
The Office of the Commissioner for Sustainable Development and Future Generations has been supported by the Guardian Angel Foundation to promote social and environmental responsibility amongst children and young people.
The charity has donated over £3,300 to purchase books and other school resources to support this initiative, including new storybooks for lower and upper primary schools that can bring the sustainability topics such as biodiversity, carbon footprints, poverty, privilege and justice alive in classrooms. The Charity will subsequently donate a further £4,500 to purchase materials that enable learners to engage practically in growing food in schools, looking after green areas and improving their local community.
The Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change, Prof John Cortes, expressed his gratitude to Prof Daniella Tilbury, the Commissioner for Sustainable Development, for the initiative and to the Guardian Angel Foundation for this generous donation. He added, ‘Building a greener tomorrow is not just the responsibility of the Government, it requires that everyone in the community think beyond their own individual needs and take responsibility. This initiative builds upon the excellent work being done by local educators and youth workers and questions what is important to us as a community now, and in the future.’
The Guardian Angel Foundation, a Gibraltar registered charity (No. 237), was set up in 2013 with the intention of improving the standards of care and living for local children affected by financial distress or suffering from any illness or disability which impairs their physical or mental well- being. The Charity aims to provide financial or other support to institutions that provide care, support or services to children.
Mr Kevin Hook, spokesman for the Charity, added ‘We also seek to fund activities that may benefit children and make their lives happier with less worry, which really is what childhood should be all about.’ Mr Hook explained that the Charity ‘has established a close working relationship with the Government to help guide us in our projects so that our help has a maximum impact on the children who most need it. In effect, every penny raised is used solely for the projects that have been identified. Therefore, all administrative and other costs associated with running the charity will be met by the Committee members themselves.’
The charity has already delivered substantial projects for the community over the past few years. This has included new sensory rooms for St Martin’s School, Notre Dame First School, and St Bernard’s Hospital, a refurbishment of the Rainbow Ward Playroom, a children’s playground at the Cancer Relief Centre premises so that children can play in an enjoyable environment whilst their parent/guardian is receiving treatment, several high dependency cots also for the Rainbow Ward, and the After School Club at the Boathouse in the Victoria Stadium area specifically designed to cater for children with learning and physical disabilities.
