17 March 2008 16:56 Central Networks helps Birmingham communities come together with new garden glory

A £2,500 grant from Central Networks, the electricity distribution company for central England, is helping to bring a Birmingham community closer together and to improve their environment.  

Volunteers in the Soho area of the city are transforming a piece of derelict land into a community garden.

The grant comes from the Safer Environment Fund, distributed by Central Networks, a division of E.ON, to help bring people together from the city's various ethnic groups and to compensate for the lack of green space in what is a densely populated area.

Phil Wilson, Customer Operations Manager for Central Networks, said: "This grant lends more than a helping hand, it puts local access and the enjoyment of gardening in the hands of the community.

"This area of the city suffers from a lack of open spaces and we're delighted to be able to help make it a cleaner, greener and more inviting place."

Organisers hope the garden and seating area will bring together local schoolchildren and volunteers in a three month mission to improve their quality of life and care for their environment.  Work is due to begin in April.  

Mohan Lal Gaddu, Chairperson for the Matthew Boulton Neighbourhood Forum, said: "This is a great opportunity to enable people to actively learn about the environment and build strong local neighbourhoods, while creating safer, healthier and more environmentally sustainable communities.

"This project will encourage citizens to become active in their communities while empowering them to improve their quality of life and care for their environment.

"This community garden will have the additional outcome of reducing fear of crime, tackling antisocial behaviour and discouraging fly tipping."

The Safer Environment Fund makes money available for projects that demonstrate they will have a lasting and positive effect on the local environment.

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Central Networks, provides a reliable supply to 4.9 customers in central England through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables - enough to go round the Earth more than four times - and via almost 97,000 substations;
• The company 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 more information contact:

Andrew Barrow on 02476 183 677

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