05 July 2010 09:07 Central Networks volunteers create nature garden for environmental learning at Nottinghamshire school

A team of eager Central Networks volunteers together with Alliance partners from Morrison Utility Services recently spent a day transforming an outdoor area at Radcliffe on Trent Junior School.

The 25-strong team worked through the day transforming an area of grassland into a nature garden and creating a stepped-effect wildlife pond which was designed by the children. They also planted hedges and fruit trees, built bat and bird boxes, and greenhouses, painted sheds and assembled raised flower beds to help give the area colour.

Michael Clarke, one of the willing volunteers and a key organiser, said: "It was a very successful day. The team worked hard to achieve what the school wanted and enjoyed themselves immensely, which was helped by the sunny weather.

"It was also a great opportunity to work together with our Alliance Partners from Morrison Utility Services for such a good cause."

Julie Ward, Sustainable Co-ordinator at Radcliffe on Trent Junior School, said: "The E.ON team helped to create a wonderful new pond and wildlife area and completed tasks which would have taken the staff and children ages. Not only did they do a huge amount of pond digging, flower bed filling, painting and even put in a path with disabled access, and they managed it in one day.

"The children are already beginning to enjoy the new additions to the school's environment. And the staff are thrilled with the outside learning area, which will give the children the opportunity to see native species on their own doorstep and hopefully allow them to make a positive contribution to the wider environmental picture."

Central Networks is part of E.ON, which finds volunteering opportunities for employees across the UK, working with schools, older people and other vulnerable groups as part of its wider community relations programme. In 2009, E.ON employees spent over 8,000 hours volunteering in their local communities.

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Central Networks brings power to around 10 million people 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.
• Central Networks formed a utility connections alliance with Morrison Utility Services in March 2010. The partnership links customer needs and value directly to service delivery, which together will deliver new electricity connections in central England over the next 10 years.

For further information contact:

Victoria Blake on 02476 181 304