LOCAL schools came together on Sunday 14 September at the Savoy Theatre to pitch their Youth Environmental Charter for Monmouth.

The schools which have been involved in the charter include: Haberdashers’ Monmouth School, Overmonnow, Raglan, Osbaston, Kymin View, Monmouth Comprehensive School, Llandogo and Usk.

Their charter was created at the Local to Global Sustainability Conference in June 2025, the children came together and proposed their ideas of how we can create a greener future.

Students from Haberdashers Monmouth School and Monmouth Comprehensive school delivered their vision for Monmouth in 2045.

The charter was delivered in various approaches including a youth- led performance imagining Monmouth in 2045, a short film featuring local students documenting the creation of their charter, the launch of their charter, a community ‘fishbowl’ exercise which involved a discussion with children, parents, teachers and members of the community to have a voice.

Monmouth Youth Charter for Monmouth by local schools
Monmouth Youth Charter delivered by local schools (Tindle- Grace Price )

The day was also accompanied by Cllr. Catrin Maby, Cabinet Lead for Climate Change and Environment and other leaders in the community.

The event was a true Monmouth community event, which was led by students in shaping. A better future together. The event inspired others to share that change is possible.

Monmouth Youth Charter delivered by students from local schools
Monmouth Youth Charter delivered by students from local schools (Tindle- Grace Price )

Monmouth Youth Charter 2025
Monmouth Youth Charter 2025 (Tindle- Grace Price )

Their charter included many sustainable ideas including:

Plastics and Oceans

  • No more single-used plastics worldwide.
  • Use of technology- cleaning devices to clean-up
  • River/ oceans whilst not harming animals
  • Integrated transport
  • Connectivity between buses, trains or walking routes
  • They proposed that if there's more accessibility of public transport which is more inclusive there will be less emissions per person because people could use these public transport or car share and rental.

Food

  • Farming and vegetables to grow in schools with cooking classes during free time.
  • More awareness on healthy and sustainable eating across the county and making naturally fast food more accessible for young people.

Fresh Water

  • Letter to Welsh Water to reduce pollution
  • Education- children spreading the word about the scale and importance of the issue.
  • Action-target River polluters, encourage real change to clean up our rivers in Monmouth.

Waste

  • Short-term
  • Encourage composting in schools.
  • Long-term
  • More home compostable materials and zero waste events across Monmouth.

UK Nature

  • Trees and Meadows Project
  • Volunteers to lead tree/green spaces in gardens, parks, town centre including potentially mapping the process and targets and involve the MPs and Council.
  • Ponds Project, looks to raise money to install ponds across Monmouth, no matter how small.

Fashion

  • Survey on fashion sustainability. Visit local shops to measure impact and use results to develop ideas and next steps to suggest to the council for improvements.
  • ‘Fashion Library’- which would essentially be a rental scheme in Monmouth, money back on return.

Tropical Forests

  • On June 22 it’s Rainforest Day, share information and collaborate with local forums or international forest communities.
  • Work with businesses- encourage Fairtrade and sale of food which doesn’t contribute to deforestation.
  • Young people to create a website
  • School-grown produce in lunches.

he 'fish bowl' exercise at Monmouth Youth Charter
he 'fish bowl' exercise at Monmouth Youth Charter (Tindle- Grace Price )

The event was part of the ACE festival, which is a festival event held in Monmouth to focus on climate action and sustainability.