News: July 2003

A project which has, for the last 12 years, managed six acres of woodland, ponds and wildlife gardens for the benefit of inner city kids has been rewarded with £600,000 of government funding.

Based in the grounds of a former power station in Stourton, south Leeds, Skelton Grange Environment Centre recently welcomed its 50,000th visitor from inner city primary and secondary shools. Money from the government's 'Clear Skies' funding, the National Lottery, the National Grid Company, Biffaward, Green Leeds and Yorkshire Water will be used to develop a new state of the art visitor centre; quite a change for the project which, untill now, was run from a portable cabin! The environmentally-friendly building, which includes solar roof panelling, a wind turbine and systems for conserving water, is due to open in September.

Ed Monk. 2003. A breath of fresh air - and £600,000 too! Viewed on the web at http://www.leedstoday.net/viewarticle.aspx?ArticleID=554846&SectionID=39 on July 7th 2003.