People living in the village of Furness Vale in the Peak District are to see their dreams for transforming a village green space come true, with the award of a grant from local company Tarmac.
Furness Community Organising Green Spaces (COGS) has been awarded £50,000 from Tarmac’s national Landfill Communities Fund* – this grant enables the charity to reach its fundraising goal of £200,000 to build a new community pavilion on the village field. Other funders include High Peak Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council, the Football Foundation, Whaley Bridge Town Council and a local resident.
Terry Watson, chair of Furness COGS said: “We are delighted that we’re now in a position to provide this facility for our village. We’re very grateful to all our funders and so pleased that Tarmac have stepped in with the final piece of the jigsaw to allow us to begin work”.
Work is due to start on the pavilion in July. It will include two changing rooms, disabled access, a community meeting space, toilets and showers, a small kitchen, and space to store sports and other equipment. The original £150,000 raised will cover the cost of building the shell of the pavilion; the final £50,000 from Tarmac will enable the interior fitting out.
David Wilson, Tarmac’s Lime Business Development manager added: “It’s great that Tarmac has been able to make a donation to complete the fundraising campaign. We look forward to seeing the project progress and the final pavilion once it is open. The field and pavilion projects have been the result of much hard work from Furness COGS and the whole community – coming together to enhance the village and give local people their own much needed usable green space to use on their doorstep.”
The facility will be open to the whole community and will be used by a range of groups including art, nature and sports clubs.
The pavilion project is the second phase of the green spaces project. The first phase involved raising £180,000 to level, drain and landscape the field which had been gifted to the village by a philanthropic local family. In addition, a football surface, perimeter paths, flower beds, picnic tables and a table tennis table were installed.
*The Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund (or Landfill Tax Credit Scheme as it was formerly known) enables landfill operators like Tarmac, to donate part of their annual tax liability to enrolled Environmental Bodies for a variety of approved community and environmental projects. Landfill operators can reclaim 90% of their contribution as a tax credit which means the remaining 10% must be provided either by them or an independent third party. Through the fund Tarmac donates around £1 million each year to community projects throughout the UK. The fund is open to applicants who meet the strict criteria for projects delivering community benefit. For more information, please go to www.entrust.org.uk
Picture caption: Standing where the new pavilion will be built – left to right: Sally Curley, High Peak Borough Council & Furness Community Organising Green Spaces (COGS); councillor Anthony McKeown; leader High Peak Borough Council;
Terry Watson, COGS; Sandy Schofield, COGS; Hilda Shepley, COGS; David Wilson, Business Development manager, Lime, Tarmac Tunstead; Les Footitt, COGS; councillor Alex Dale, Children’s Services, Derbyshire County Council; councillor Mike Glover, chair, Whaley Bridge Town Council; Robert Largan, MP for the High Peak