Pembrokeshire has benefitted from a cash injection thanks to an environmental grant scheme from Keep Wales Tidy and Tesco.

Members from the 1st Narberth Scout Group were thrilled to hear they'd been successful in applying for an All Wales Grant of 500 which they then used to buy beach cleaning equipment.

Community groups, schools and charitable organisations across Wales were asked to apply to the All Wales Grant Scheme from November 2014, with grants of £100 - £500 available to help them with their very own green initiatives.

Run by environmental charity, Keep Wales Tidy and funded by Tesco's single use carrier bag charge, the aim of the All Wales Grant Scheme is to assist communities across Wales in real environmental actions, both financially and practically, to help improve their local environment.

As part of their environmental project, the 1st Narberth Scout Group, which includes the Beavers (aged six-eight), Cubs (aged eight-10), Scouts (aged 10-14) and Explorer Scouts (aged 14-18), have been conducting regular beach cleans along the Pembrokeshire coast. Through this activity, the youngsters have not only been improving the visual quality of the beach for locals and tourists, but they have been learning about issues surrounding the origins of beach waste, the environmental impact of this waste on humans and wildlife and the need to control and correctly dispose of waste. Data on items collected during the beach cleans are being shared with Keep Wales Tidy, who are helping the youngsters to analyse the results.

Alex Hammond, a qualified master mariner, who is also a Scout Leader at 1st Narberth, and who initiated the beach cleans, as part of a five year nautical based project called Project Nemo, said: "We are very grateful to Keep Wales Tidy for their generous grant to enable us to buy beach cleaning equipment to support the environmental aspect of Project Nemo. If we can improve the quality of Pembrokeshires' beaches, by removing litter and at the same time learn where the rubbish comes from and why, we will have done a good job."

He went on: "This grant from Keep Wales Tidy is in collaboration with Project Nemo's main sponsoring company, Swire Pacific Offshore, a Hong Kong-based company managed out of Singapore. The aim of Project Nemo is first and foremost to get members of the 1st Narberth Scout Group out on the water and beaches of Pembrokeshire. We will incorporate nautical skills, such as power-boating and kayaking, along with environmental issues so the youngsters have fun and achieve badge-work, whilst also gaining training, experience and understanding on matters relating to the sea."

Lesley Jones, chief executive of Keep Wales Tidy, said: "I am delighted that so many groups and environmental projects across Wales have benefitted from a financial boost thanks to the All Wales Grants Scheme. It's vital that we all do our bit to care for our local environment and through the scheme, local people across Wales have been able to get the support, resources and expert advice they need to carry out their environmental improvement projects. Keep Wales Tidy would like to thank Tesco customers for their support with the single use carrier bag donation, resulting in a successful All Wales Grant Scheme. "

For more information on the All Wales Grant Scheme, please e-mail [email protected]">[email protected] or visit the website http://www.keepwalestidy.org">www.keepwalestidy.org.

The grant scheme was the first project to be launched thanks to a partnership between Keep Wales Tidy and Tesco, after 27,000 Tesco customers took part in a vote to choose Keep Wales Tidy as the charity to benefit from Tesco's carrier bag charge in Wales from October 1, 2014.