03 March 2008 12:22 Volunteers from Lincolnshire go wild for woodland recovery thanks to Central Networks

Volunteers from a Lincolnshire community group are working to create a ‘green lung' wildlife trail for local families after being awarded £2,500 by Central Networks, the electricity distribution network for the midlands.

The project in South Holland will reinvigorate the environment on a ten acre site at the hub of a number of small rural communities which, campaigners say, have been destroyed by decades of modern farming methods.

It is hoped the work will create an area at the centre of a network of local roads where families can enjoy a day out in beautiful surroundings and where children can play safely away from traffic.

South Holland Enterprise for the Disabled was one of the winning applicants for the Safer Environment Fund, distributed by Central Networks, part of E.ON, a £70,000 annual fund which makes money available for schemes with a lasting and positive effect on the local environment.

Phil Wilson, Customer Operations Manager for Central Networks, said:"The new trail isn't just a safer place for children to play, it also offers a place for families to enjoy themselves without having to travel long distances and plays an important role in the heart of the community.

"We're delighted to be able to help and would encourage more local groups to apply for funds to help improve their community and environment."

David Whyles, chairman of South Holland Enterprise for the Disabled, said: "The money provided by Central Networks will help us to develop a larger site that already attracts around a thousand visitors a week.

"We are excited to turn around a destroyed environmental space into a transformed treat of hedges and wildlife habitats that will be hugely appreciated by visitors from all over the country."

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 the East and West Midlands through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables - enough to go round the Earth almost four times - 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:

Andrew Barrow on 024 7618 3677

A selection of Central Networks pictures is available free of charge to the media by registering at www.newscast.co.uk and looking under Distribution