Sheffield park project gets £450K from Big Lottery Fund

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/8594541.stm

Tuesday, 30 March 2010 13:35 UK

A community project in Sheffield has been awarded £450,000 by the Big Lottery Fund to develop its local park.

The Heeley Development Trust which owns the Millennium Park bid for the money from the Community Spaces programme.

The programme gives grants to local groups to create or improve parks and green spaces for community benefit.

Heeley Trust’s chief executive, Andy Jackson, said the money would go towards a playground, a raised mountain bike trail and community orchards.

Mr Jackson said: “We talked to local people so that our bid proposals came from the community.

“We are focused on the long term maintenance of the park using things like solar panelled light posts and improving recycling and compost levels.”

The Heeley Trust received the highest individual grant available from the £50m Lottery Fund. The programme has awarded almost 250 small and medium grants across the country.

Thom White, Millennium Park Development Manager, said: “It’s essential we hang on to green spaces.

“One of the problems we face is the increase in obesity with people not exercising. Places like the Millennium Park give people somewhere to go to keep fit.”