06 October 2006 00:00 Central Networks helps Lincolnshire parish councils to build a safe place for children to play

Central Networks, the electricity distribution company for central England, has awarded Fleet Parish Council and North Kyme Parish Council grants of £2,500 each to build safety fences around their village children’s play areas.

The grant comes from the company’s £70,000 Safer Environment Fund which was launched earlier this year.

Fleet Parish Council will use the money to build a safety fence around the play area to create a secure area for children and to give parents peace of mind.

North Kyme Parish Council will also be building a safety fence, this time around the village’s playing field. The work will play an integral role in the proposed new village hall complex.

Phil Wilson, Customer Operations Manager for Central Networks, said: “We really want to put Central Networks at the heart of the communities in which we operate, which is why we launched this fund.

“Both of these schemes are designed to help people who live in these villages and we’re delighted to be able to support them.”

Jill Harrington, Fleet’s Parish Clerk said: “Our parish field is our biggest asset and the grant from Central Networks is a real boost to the village. We’re thrilled to have been successful in our bid for funding."

Tony Carroll, fundraiser for the North Kyme Village Hall project, said: “Our old village hall burned down in 2003 and our local post office and school have been closed so the new hall and playing fields are going to be central to our community life.

“The money from Central Networks will go a long way to making the area a safe and protected environment for people of all ages to meet.”

The fund is still open to all local community groups and not for profit organisations with their own bank account located in the Central Networks distribution region, which covers central England. For more information and to download an application form visit www.central-networks.co.uk/sef.

Ends

Notes to editors:
• Central Networks is the new name for Midlands Electricity and East Midlands Electricity. The company brings power to 4.9 million customers across central England through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables and via almost 97,000 substations;
• Central Networks covers an area from the Peak District in the north to parts of Bristol in the south, and from the Welsh Borders to the Lincolnshire Coast.

For further information contact:
Jamee Majid 024 7618 3679
Ellie King 024 7618 3678
A selection of Central Networks images are available free of charge to the media by registering at www.newscast.co.uk and looking under the Distribution section.