Gateshead Council recently welcomed volunteers from Barratt and David Wilson Homes, as they spent time regenerating the much-loved Riverside Park in support of the Tyne Derwent Way project.
The Tyne Derwent Way project, which brings together the National Trust, Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust, Newcastle University, Northumbria University and Gateshead Council, will see the creation of a 9-mile outdoor trail connecting the centre of Gateshead with Derwent Valley. Beginning at St Mary’s Heritage Centre and running along the Tyne, the route passes through Gateshead Riverside Park, Dunston Staiths and Derwent Valley, before finishing at National Trust estate, Gibside.
Supported by £1.5m of Government funding, the trail will also be the new home to a variety of activities and volunteering opportunities. One of which is the new Forest School at Riverside Park, which has been organised by Stomping Grounds North East, a charity that works to connect local communities with nature and runs local events, such as its recent Wellbeing Walks.
To help create the outdoor forest school space, eight volunteers from local housebuilder Barratt and David Wilson Homes rolled up their sleeves and donned their gardening gloves as they cleared areas across the park in order to make space for the forest school.
Speaking on the volunteering, Anneliese Hutchinson, Strategic Director, Economy, Innovation and Growth at Gateshead Council commented:
“We’re so pleased to have received support from employees at Barratt and David Wilson Homes. This project is such an exciting one for the area, and it’s very much all hands on deck when it comes to bringing it to life!
“We hope that the new forest school at Riverside Park will encourage inspirational learning for children across the area, and we look forward to welcoming families to experience all that it has to offer in the coming months.”
Amy Ward, Planning Manager at Barratt Homes North East, added:
“The Tyne Derwent Way is such a fantastic project, and one that we were really keen to get involved with. It represents a truly brilliant asset for the area, offering a green haven in a largely urban area, bordering the iconic River Tyne. Gateshead Council is doing a wonderful job at bringing the Tyne Derwent Way vision to life, and we’re really looking forward to seeing the project and all that it will offer to the local residents.”
Barratt and David Wilson Homes North East is a committed housebuilder within the area. So much so, that over the past year, the local housebuilder has seen an increase in its volunteering time by a huge 1051% across the business.
To find out more information about properties available with Barratt Homes, please visit https://www.barratthomes.co.uk/new-homes/ and for David Wilson Homes please visit https://www.dwh.co.uk/new-homes/
To find out more information about Stomping Grounds North East, please visit: www.stomping-grounds.org To find out more information about the Tyne Derwent Way project, please visit: https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/28200/Introducing-the-Tyne-Derwent-Way-Gateshead-s-revitalised-riverside-attraction
