Clear success for glass artwork grant at new Durham
leisure centre
Game, set and match to Helm Youth Group thanks to £20,000 tennis court grant
Stannington school children drawing on local artists' expertise
Banks Group grant helps Byth community fundraisers reach mining monument target
Banks on target at Blyth Town FC
£50,000 grant gives Drumsagard youngsters a sporting chance
Banks grant helps local people enjoy important wildlife site
Clear success for glass artwork grant at new Durham leisure centre
A striking glass artwork has become the focus of Durham’s new multi-million pound leisure complex with the help of a £30,000 grant from a local developer.
The
Banks Group provided the grant to help fund the creation of two glass
installations at the new £12.3m Freeman’s Quay Leisure Centre
in Durham City which depict the fossilised remains of plants which were
found in the north east up to 350 million years ago.
Local artist Gavin Marshall was chosen to create the pieces, the pre-historic theme of which matches the design of the whole building, which spirals outwards in the same shape as an ammonite.
The fossilised images are shown on a curved glass screen which separates the Centre’s small pool from its main pool, and on an external curtain wall which runs alongside the main pool, meaning that the artwork has a functional role as well as an artistic one.
Energy efficient lighting is being used to light the work, and an educational element has been incorporated into the display so that schoolchildren and other visitors to the pool can learn about the fossils and prehistoric plants of the north east.
Regular displays of work by local artists, schools and Durham University students will also be mounted in the complex as part of the Banks Grant, which came from the Banks Community Fund and which was given as ‘match funding’ to a contribution from Durham City Council.
Cllr Sue Pitts, Portfolio holder for Culture and Leisure at Durham City Council, says: “We wanted to make the visual impact of the new centre a cut above the rest, and the glass artworks that have been installed certainly achieve that goal.
“The installations make the centre a very attractive place for local people to visit, a fact which contributes to both its sustainability and the health and well-being of local people.
“They also contribute to the educational aspect of our work, through helping to forge new links with schools and the University, and provide a highly-valuable platform for the work of local artists.
“The support we received from Banks helped us to realise an ambitious plan, and will make art much more accessible to a lot of people who wouldn’t normally choose to visit an art gallery or exhibition.”
Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at The Banks Group, adds: "This is a landmark project for County Durham, so to have the opportunity to support such a highly visible and innovative part of it is a real honour for us.
“The designs add a great deal to the overall appeal of what is a fantastic new facility, and we hope the many thousands of people using Freeman’s Quay every week enjoy them.”
The Banks Community Fund is administered by the County Durham Foundation. Projects, community groups, or organisations looking for funding in the vicinity of a Banks Group development should contact Christina Rackley on 0191 383 0055.
Game, set and match to Helm Youth Group thanks to £20,000 tennis court grant
Budding Lakeland tennis stars will be getting a smoother ride
this summer after the Helm Youth Group secured a £20,000 grant to
resurface and upgrade the community tennis court in Old Hutton.
Provided by renewable energy firm Banks Developments via its Banks Community
Fund, the grant will cover the cost of improvements both on and around
the court, which is used for a range of sports, including tennis, football
and netball, as well as general recreation.
And the Youth Group committee is hoping that work on the upgrade will
be completed near the beginning of the school summer holidays, thus making
the new facilities available right through the rest of the summer.
Founded more than 30 years ago, the Helm Youth Group now has upwards of
50 members aged between eight and 16, who take part in its weekly Friday
evening get-togethers.
The Group provides a meeting place for local young people, as well as
offering them the chance to take part in a range of activities, pastimes,
trips and events.
The tennis court is situated on a piece of land given to the youth group
by a local resident 30 years ago, and the creation of the court was originally
paid for by a village fundraising campaign.
It is regularly used by all sections of the local community and has been
progressively patched up over the years to help keep it in the best possible
shape, but it is now in need of an extensive upgrade.
Banks Developments’ grant will cover most of the cost of resurfacing,
repainting and relining the court, as well as helping to pay for improvements
to its lighting, drainage, fencing and accessibility.
Sue Evans, secretary of the Helm Youth Group, says: “The
tennis court is an important local facility that has been well-used by
the whole village for many years, and which is especially important to
our Group.
“It had reached a stage where a comprehensive upgrade was required,
and there was a real danger that it would soon have become unusable if
we hadn’t been able to get funding to carry this work out.
“We’re hoping that the upgrade will be finished
as early as possible in the school summer holidays, so that the court
is available for the maximum amount of time, and we’re extremely
grateful for the Banks Group’s generosity in providing a grant which
covers the majority of the project costs.”
Banks Developments has submitted a planning application for a wind farm
development in the area, on land near the village of Old Hutton, to the
east of the M6 between junctions 36 and 37, would be capable of generating
enough renewable energy to power up to 8,340 local homes.
Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at The Banks Group, adds:
"Banks’ policy is to invest and support communities
in the vicinity of all our planned and ongoing operations, to ensure that
these areas benefit from our presence within them.
“Well-used facilities such as this play a central role
in their communities, especially in areas where few alternatives are available,
and we’re extremely pleased to be able to both support the excellent
work of the Helm Youth Group and to help secure the long-term viability
of the tennis court for the whole village.”
Projects, community groups, or organisations in the vicinity of a Banks
Group development who are looking for funding from the Banks Community
Fund should contact Christina Rackley on 0191 383 0055.
Stannington school children drawing on local artists' expertise
Artistic residents in a Northumberland village are passing on
their skills to a younger generation with the support of a four-figure
grant from a north east company.
Local developer The Banks Group has given £3,140 to the Stannington
Art Group to help fund its equipment and exhibition requirements.
And as part of efforts to involve more members of the local community,
the 25-strong art group has now set up a weather-themed joint exhibition
project with children at Stannington First School and Sunday School.
The grant, which has been given via the Banks Delhi Community Fund, has
been used to fund a range of equipment, including display boards and hanging
equipment used at the Group’s recent summer exhibition.
A projector which enhances the size of images and a new light box have
also been purchased, and some of the tuition costs that the Group incurs
are also being covered.
Founded 30 years ago, the Art Group meet fortnightly in Stannington village
hall, and committee member Alan MacDougall is hoping that the new equipment
will help encourage more local people to become members.
He says: “The Art Group has become something of a village
institution, and we’re always keen to try and involve as many local
people as we can - the project with the First School and Sunday School
has been very enjoyable for all participants, and we’re hoping that
we’ll be able to involve other local youth groups in similar joint
activities in the future.
“We’re very pleased that Banks is making this investment in
our local community, and the group feels very privileged to have received
their support – our new equipment makes a big difference to what
we can offer and will hopefully persuade more people to get involved.”
The Banks Group operates the nearby Delhi surface mine on the Blagdon
Estate, and has recently unveiled proposals for a further surface mine
on land at Brenkley, to the south of the Delhi site.
Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at The Banks Group, adds:
"We have had a very positive relationship with the village
of Stannington over many years and have provided funding to a number of
community initiatives.
“The Art Group’s activities bring many local people together
and we’re very pleased that our support will enable them to build
on the excellent work that they already do.”
The Delhi Community Fund is administered by Northumberland County Council,
and decisions on which schemes are supported are made by a committee of
local community representatives.
Local projects, community groups, or organisations looking for more information
on the Banks Delhi Community Fund should contact David English via denglish@northumberland.gov.uk
or on 01670 533081.
Banks Group grant helps Byth community fundraisers reach mining monument target
A memorial celebrating the mining heritage of a Blyth community
has been erected after local fundraisers reached their £50,000 target.
The North Farm Residents and Community Association raised the money to
design, commission and erect a bronze statue of a coal miner and a pit
pony in the North Farm Estate's memorial garden, to help local young people
learn and understand more about the history of their home area.
And a £20,000 grant from north east company The Banks Group, via
its Banks Community Fund, played a significant part in enabling the North
Farm residents to reach their goal.
The statue, which depicts a young miner with a pit pony pulling a coal
wagon, is now situated in the Estate's memorial garden, which was created
and is still maintained by local children, and which is located on the
old pathway to the mine.
Three local schools are now planning to incorporate both the statue itself
and what it represents into their education curriculum.
The North Farm Estate was built just after the Second World War specifically
to house the families of men who worked in the local mines, and there
are still a number of ex-miners and their families living amongst the
600-strong community today.
The Residents and Community Association was established in 2001 to help
tackle some of the social problems on the Estate, which had become run
down and neglected over the years, and it has undertaken and run a number
of schemes which have contributed greatly to improving the area, increasing
community spirit and raising morale.
Isobel Foster, who is part of the Association's management committee,
says: "The statue is located next to a very busy footpath
used by local residents and children walking to school, and will now be
a constant reminder of our area's rich mining heritage.
"The Residents and Community Association have worked very hard to
tackle a number of problems on the Estate, via projects which have focussed
on increasing community spirit and local morale, and we strongly believe
that this memorial will help communicate a lasting sense of shared history
and belonging throughout our local area.
“The support we received from the Banks Community Fund
means a great deal to us - it’s wonderful to have the statue in
place after so much hard work from so many people, and we’ve already
had a lot of visitors coming up to take a look, including many people
who used to work in the mines.
The Banks Group has recently put forward proposals for a multi-million
pound residential regeneration project across three sites in Blyth - the
former Bates Colliery, the former Crofton Mill Colliery and the current
Morpeth Road school, which is scheduled to be relocated to the Bates site
as part of the Northumberland schools reorganisation.
Banks Group environment and community director Mark Dowdall adds: "Communities
like North Farm are built on their shared history, and the memorial is
a very powerful reminder of the mining foundations upon which this area
is built.
“As a north east company that is still very active in
the mining industry, as well as in the regeneration of the Blyth area,
we are extremely happy to have helped bring the memorial plans to fruition.”
The Banks Community Fund is administered by the County Durham Foundation.
Projects, community groups, or organisations looking for funding in the
vicinity of a Banks Group development should contact Christina Rackley
on 0191 383 0055.
Back to top.
Banks on target at Blyth Town FC
Monday 21 April 2008
Players at a Northumberland community football club are hitting the back of the net much more often after a grant from regional developer The Banks Group paid for a new set of state-of-the-art goalposts.
Blyth Town FC has used a £5,000 grant from the Banks Community Fund to pay for the demountable goalposts, as well as for a number of storage containers in which the posts and all the club’s other equipment can be safely and securely stored.
Tables and chairs to go in the club’s new headquarters building have also been purchased with the grant funding.
Founded in 1995, Blyth Town FC was the first club in Northumberland to achieve the Football Association’s Community Charter Standard, and runs a total of 27 teams which play in a number of county and regional league competitions.
The club, which is managed by a committed group of 60 volunteers and has 400 junior players on its books from across the area, recently refurbished and extended its ground and facilities with the aid of grants from the Football Foundation and Blyth Valley Borough Council.
Club chair Sandra Orr says: “All our players are extremely proud of our new facilities, and the items that the Banks grant has helped us purchase are the icing on the cake.
“When you’re trying to get young players teams organised before a match, the last thing our coaches and volunteers want to be doing is spending all their time setting up the equipment for the game, and having demountable goalposts is helping us cut right down on the time needed to get everything in place.
“The support we’ve received from Banks has helped us cover off some urgent funding requirements and everyone at the club is extremely grateful for their help.”
The Banks Group is heavily involved with ongoing regeneration work in the Blyth area, and has recently put forward plans for a multi-million pound residential regeneration project across three sites in the town, in partnership with UK COAL.
Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at The Banks Group, adds: "Blyth Town FC has very quickly established itself as one of the leading community organisations in the town, and it is setting a high standard for other regional clubs to follow.
“It’s great to see our grant being put to use for the benefit of so many local people, and we’re looking forward to seeing the club go from strength to strength both on and off the pitch.”
£50,000 grant gives Drumsagard youngsters a sporting chance
Monday 17 March 2008
More than 2,000 young people from across a south Lanarkshire community
are set to get access to new all-weather sports facilities after a £50,000
donation from a local employer.
The Hamilton-based Banks Developments is making the donation to the Drumsagard Trust, a charity set up by the Drumsagard Village Residents Association to install and improve new facilities which would benefit all members of the Cambuslang community.
The money will be used to design and install a range of top quality facilities which can be used for a number of sports, including football, netball and basketball, in an area which currently has no open spaces or sports pitches of any kind.
And the Drumsagard Trustees believe that the fitness, social and health benefits of the new facilities will be invaluable to the whole community.
A cheque for £50,000 will be presented to the Drumsagard Trust at 12pm on Thursday (13 March) at Drumsagard Village.
Work is scheduled to start on the new facilities in the summer, with the first pitches expected to be available for use before the end of the year.
And William McPadden, one of the members of the Drumsagard Trust, hopes the new pitches are just the beginning of the sporting story for the local area.
He says: “When we were first looking into carrying out this project, we carried out a feasibility study which found that there was a real need to provide outdoor facilities for more than 2,000 young people living in over 1,300 homes in and around the village.
“We knew the demand would be there if we could find the funding to make it happen, and the support that we’ve now secured from Banks is going to make a tremendous difference to our local community.
“Once the facilities are up and running, we’re hoping to provide additional activities like coaching and competitions, and are already looking at additional sources of funding which we will now be able to access to help make things even better.
“This is the sort of scheme that really builds community spirit, and we’re very excited at the prospect of our young people finally having somewhere safe and well-maintained to go to practice and play their favourite sports.”
Drumsagard Village is a community born out of the successful redevelopment and regeneration by Banks Developments of the former Hallside Steelworks and three local colliery sites.
Work commenced on site some 15 years ago with the remediation of the steelworks itself and has now delivered 1,400 homes, a local neighbourhood centre and a park & ride facility, in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council and other stakeholders.
It is part of the development philosophy of Banks to develop community relationships and to maintain these over time, with the aim of helping to create and deliver community ownership.
This latest initiative has been driven by the community itself and is a clear sign of the success of the project.
Banks Group Environment and Community Director Mark Dowdall adds: "The Drumsagard community has been crying out for facilities like this, where young people can enjoy themselves and get some exercise in a safe and high quality environment.
“The
members of the Trust have put in a huge amount of work to make this project
a reality, and we’re already looking forward to returning in a few
months’ time to see the difference that the new facilities will
make to the local area.”
Back to top.
Banks grant helps local people enjoy important wildlife site
Monday 07 April 2008
An environmentally important piece of County Durham heathland,
which is home to a variety of rare plants and animals, is being made easier
for local people to enjoy thanks to regional developer The Banks Group.
Hedleyhope Fell, between Tow Law and Cornsay Colliery, is a rare example of what ecologists call ‘mid-altitude heathland’.
The fell is managed by Durham Wildlife Trust, which has just received £10,000 from the Banks Community Fund to pay for new signs, bridges, boardwalks and drainage works on the 200 hectare site.
Hedleyhope Fell used to belong to the Banks Group, which operated a surface mine on part of the site. The company donated it to the Trust four years ago.
Hedleyhope Fell reserve officer Craig Best says: "The fell is very popular with local people who use it for dog-walking and horse riding, and we wanted to make it easier for them to access. For example, parts of the fell can get very damp, so providing boardwalks and bridges makes it easier for people to walk there.
"The aim is to use these walkways to link Tow Law and Cornsay Colliery which are at opposite ends of the reserve and lie four miles apart.
“We also want to put up a noticeboard and information panel that keeps local people and visitors up-to-date with the ongoing management of the reserve and provide information on how to get involved."
Hedleyhope Fell provides a rich habitat for birds including skylarks and lapwings, the Green Hairstreak butterfly as well as heather and bilberry shrubs. It is the largest reserve managed by Durham Wildlife Trust and one of their most important in terms of the variety of plants and animals that can be found there.
Craig adds: "We're really grateful that Banks has made this commitment to local wildlife and the local community. Their investment will help protect the area's valuable plants and animals and means the fell will become an even better place for local people to relax and experience nature at first hand."
Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at The Banks Group, adds: "It's great to be able to invest in a project that will make a real difference to the local community.
"As well as increasing the enjoyment that local people get out of the fell by making it easier to walk there, we're also helping to increase understanding of a very special and environmentally important place."
The Banks Community Fund is administered by the County Durham Foundation. Projects, community groups, or organisations looking for funding in the vicinity of a Banks Group development should contact Christina Rackley on 0191 383 0055.
To find out more about Hedleyhope Fell Nature Reserve and how to volunteer contact Craig Best on 01388 488728 or email cbest@durhamwt.co.uk