£50,000 Playbuilder Grant awarded to Ripon’s Quarry Moor Nature Reserve
29 July 2009
Children and their families are being invited to take part in a day of fun activities on Saturday, 8 August 2009 at Quarry Moor Nature Reserve, Ripon.
The site on the edge of the city has been granted £50,000 from the Department of Children, Schools and Families Playbuilder funding programme.
Officers from Harrogate Borough Council's Parks and Open Spaces Service will be on hand to talk about proposals for the development of a play area for children aged between 8 and 13 years.
Councillor Richard Cooper, the council's Cabinet Member for Cultural Services, says the partners involved will be asking local people about their ideas on how to develop an area of the nature reserve so that young people have opportunities to play in a natural environment.
He added:
"Children are very interested in Quarry Moor particularly when teachers or group leaders explain that some 230 million years ago Ripon lay at the edge of a tropical sea and Quarry Moor formed the beach.
"Alderman Tom Spence left this nature reserve in trust for the people of Ripon.
I am sure that this idea of providing more play opportunities for children visiting the site would have found favour with him.
I do hope Ripon residents will come along on the 8
th to have some fun with the family as well as helping us make sure we provide a facility that children will want to use but which fits in with the ethos of the reserve."
Quarry Moor Trustees will also present information about this beautiful nature reserve.
Councillor David Parnaby, Mayor of the City of Ripon, added:
"I am delighted that we have received this grant for 8 to 13 year olds.
We are still looking for money to fund the replacement of the pre-school and up to age 8 play area."
Playbuilder grants have been allocated to 12 sites across North Yorkshire through applications run by North Yorkshire's Play Partnership.
The Alderman T F Spence Trust the Trustees of Quarry Moor, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and Ripon City Council are working together to provide this much needed play facility.
The family fun day will run from 10am 4pm on Saturday 8 August, Harrogate Borough Council's Play Rangers will provide the games and fun which includes model making and willow weaving.
County Councillor Caroline Patmore, North Yorkshire's executive member for Children's Services said:
"The County Council is really excited to be involved with the young people of Ripon in the development of the fantastic nature-rich Quarry Moor site.
Play is a vital ingredient of a happy and healthy childhood and Quarry Moor will prove an ideal place for children to be free to play in a stimulating environment."
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lynne Mee, Communications and Media Manager, Harrogate Borough Council on 01423 556022 or email lynne.mee@harrogate.gov.uk