Parks in Nottingham have received £230,000 from WREN. The money will help create a new park, build a playground and a games area, and fund a creative new park entrance that the public can help choose.
The latest awards take the total grants given by WREN to Nottingham City Council Parks service in the past nine years to £1.6million.
WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd) is a not-for-profit business that helps benefit the lives of people who live close to landfill sites by awarding grants for community, biodiversity and heritage projects. The latest four awards are:
- £50,000 for Radford Recreation Ground play area – part of a £140,000 package of work to include improving paths and entrances and installing an outdoor gym. Designs for the £75,000 playground will go online for consultation soon, with the winning design being announced by the end of September.
- £30,000 towards a multi-use games area at Ridgeway in Bestwood, with the City Council paying the remaining £30,000. The open access ball court suitable for basketball, football and other sports will be installed during winter 2015.
- £100,000 for landscaping an open space in Hoewood Road in Bulwell – helping to turn an old landfill site owned by Nottinghamshire County Council into a public park. Designs are being finalised.
- £50,000 for an improved entrance to Highfields Park, near the new tram stop on University Boulevard. Park visitors can call into the Lakeside Arts Centre to see three designs created by artists and vote for their favourite. The project is part of the £4.64million restoration of the park funded in part by £3.2million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery.
Councillor Dave Trimble, Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “Nottingham parks continue to improve thanks to successful partnerships with funders such as WREN. Research proves that parks are beneficial to mental and physical health as well as being a great source of free entertainment and enjoyment, and we want to ensure that everyone has access to an attractive and welcoming green space not far from home. We are well on the way to achieving that.”
Cheryl Raynor, WREN’s Grant Manager for Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, says: “We are delighted to be supporting the council to develop these facilities and pleased that our funding will provide fantastic facilities across the city. WREN is always happy to consider grant applications for projects that make a difference to local communities and we’re really looking forward to seeing these take shape soon.”