It’s not just Glamorgan’s cricketers who have tasted success in the past few weeks as the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket, based at the Club’s headquarters at Sophia Gardens, have also been winners recently.
Last month, the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket won a prestigious national award at the Sporting Heritage Awards held in Leeds, with the work by its team of volunteers being recognised. Now the Museum’s outreach activities, in conjunction with the Community Department of Glamorgan Cricket, have been recognised with the Museum being one of 36 small museums across the UK to have this week been awarded grant funding by the Royal Society in its Places of Science scheme.
The Museum, over the course of the coming months will be linking up with staff and pupils at Pencaerau Primary School in Cardiff to undertake a project looking at a number of important issues relating to the environment and sustainability. “The Museum will create online learning activities and displays relating to climate change, environmental science and eco-friendly lifestyles,” said Dr. Andrew Hignell, the Museum’s Curator, and Glamorgan Cricket’s Heritage and Education Co-ordinator. “Using the location of the Museum at Sophia Gardens, its situation within a conservation area, and the Museum’s extensive collection of archive photographs, the students will study how the cricket ground has evolved over time and the current eco-challenges.”
“It’s going to be an exciting and innovative way to help teach young learners about environmental issues and other scientific matters. We also plan to work with Friends of the Earth Cymru, as well as Joe Cooke, Glamorgan Cricket’s Environmental Champion, with the pupils from Pencaerau also visiting Parc Stormy, run by Cenin Renewables, so that they can learn about possible solutions to these challenges and design an imaginary eco-friendly sporting stadium of the future.”
“Pencaerau Primary School are delighted to be working with Glamorgan Cricket to develop ideas for a more sustainable future,” said Sam Lane, the Senior Leader at Pencaerau PS. “We understand that our natural world is diverse and dynamic, influenced by processes and human actions. As ethically informed citizens of Wales and the world it is important for our children to be given opportunities to have an influence on their immediate locality. We are grateful that this opportunity has been presented to us by the Royal Society and we are excited to put the ‘Friends of the Earth’ resources to use to design an eco-friendly stadium of tomorrow!"
This project is in keeping with the Royal Society’s Places of Science scheme, which aims to evoke curiosity, interest and enthusiasm by exploring science in a creative way. “The projects which are being funded are using a diverse range of creative activities and content to inspire their local communities,” said Professor Jonathan Ashmore, Chair of the Places of Science panel, and Professor of Biophysics at University College, London. “This year’s awardees are also actively trying to make sure that their projects are accessible to everyone in their local communities and will inspire local generations to come.”
The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering, and medicine. The Society’s fundamental purpose, as it has been since its foundation in 1660, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.