06 October 2006 00:00 Central Networks helps Nottinghamshire community group to secure a safe place for children to play

Central Networks, the electricity distribution company for central England, has awarded Wysall and Thorpe in the Glebe Parish Council a grant of £500 for a new safety surface at the community’s well-used children’s play area.

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

The parish council is raising funds to improve its playing field by the village hall and is part of the scheme plans to lay a new safety surface on the children’s play area. The new cushioned surface will reduce the risk of injuries to youngsters using the area.

Customer Operations Manager Phil Wilson said: “We’re pleased that our funding will help to make the area safer for children to play and give local parents peace of mind.

“We were impressed with the parish council’s application. We asked local groups to come up with ideas that would have a lasting and positive effect on the local environment and that’s just what they did. The project will make a real difference to the community and we’re delighted to be able to help.”

Mike Elliott, Clerk to the Parish Council said: “The area is regularly used but is in need of some maintenance. We really want this area to be a place for everyone to use and the new safety surface will mean children can come and play in a safer environment.”

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