A LAMPETER-BASED green energy group is spearheading a drive to establish a national volunteer and research base for Welsh youngsters “on the climate change front line in tropical Africa”.

Community Carbon Link also want to help communities in Kenya develop sustainable livelihoods and move away from forest-destroying charcoal burning.

The project is a partnership initiative between Community Carbon Link, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s Students’ Union and the Rotary Club of Lampeter and is also backed by fifty other organisations in both countries.

“The concept is based around the idea that we need to find ways to work together to protect tropical forests in order to keep the planet cool,” director Ru Hartwell told the Cambrian News.

“It’s quite an exciting project and we have already attracted quite a lot of backing for it.

“We already have about 50 partners, have raised about £12,000 through donations and are just about to put in a grant application for £10,000 to the Welsh Government to build an accommodation block out there.

“Long-term we want to send Welsh youngsters out to Africa. One of our volunteers, Zak Douglas, who is doing research at Aber uni, will be travelling there this summer.”

See this week’s south editions for the full story, in shops and online now