There is plenty to celebrate at a Flintshire school, after their decarbonisation project not only saw them win an ANOB landscape award but has resulted in their energy costs being reduced by 70 per cent.

Members of the school council at Ysgol Y Foel, in Cilcain, then sent a letter, proudly sharing news of their efforts, to organisations and individuals, including the Welsh Government, Flintshire County Council and MS for Delyn Hannah Blythyn, who also visited the school.

In the letter they said: "We are writing to share with you our new renewable energy project that will make a difference to not only our school but the environment as a whole."

They went on to explain that their school, built in the 1960s, was contributing to climate change, and that it was essential to come up with a way to power our school using renewable technologies

One of the school governors sought the advice from local company JM Renewables and Flintshire County Councils Sustainable Energy Team.

The solution was a complete refit of the energy source and heating system.

Solar panels have now been installed on two of the roofs (84 in total), taking UV light and converting it using usable electricity via the big inverter, making their own electricity to power their lights and charge computers.

The very old oil-powered heating system has been replaced and installed Air Source Pumps on the roof.

Radiators have been replaced to accommodate the new heating system, as the others were too small to heat the building.

The school has gone from using all non-renewable sources of energy to using renewable sources, helping to reduce their carbon footprint.

To help fund the massive project, school governors was able to source most of the refit via a substantial grant from the AONB, in which the school sits in.

And in addition to the decarbonisation project, the grant also allowed the school to create an outdoor classroom.

Headteacher Emma O'Neill was thrilled that the AONB Partnership have now awarded this year’s AONB Landscape Award to Ysgol y Foel in recognition of the huge achievement of the Decarbonisation Project.