Children help shape the environment

Children from Liverpool’s West Derby area are working with an award winning community artist to create a range of sculptures for the new £600,000 Mab Lane Community Woodland - a Forestry Commission and NWDA project.

School children from St Brigid’s, St Albert’s and Mab Lane Community Primary schools are getting crafty with artist John Merrill to design three masterpieces that will become the visual identity for the 25ha green space, close to Stockbridge village and Croxteth Country Park.

Taking the environment as the theme, John will be running a series of workshops with the children that will carve out the inspiration for the site’s landmark works of art, and gives schools the chance to continue to celebrate Liverpool’s Year of the Environment.

Mab Lane Community Woodland, the new multi-functional green space at the heart of the West Derby community is being created through a partnership of Liverpool and Northwest organisations. £440,000 of investment for the project has been provided by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) via the NWDA and Forestry Commission partnership programme, ‘Newlands’ which is rejuvenating 435 hectares of the Northwest’s most damaged land to encourage economic growth and social and environmental enhancements.

Further funding for the project is being provided by Riverside via the Big Lottery Fund’s ‘Changing Spaces’ programme, the Forestry Commission through the English Woodland Grant Scheme, and Liverpool City Council.

Work is already underway on site to rectify water logging problems, with a series of drains installed to redirect excess water from the site. And a network of footpaths has began to be laid that will provide access to the woodlands’ natural and man-made attractions.

Due for completion in Summer 2010, West Derby’s freshest green offering will boast 20,000 new native UK trees, many of which will be planted by local school children and community groups. The site will also offer wildflower meadows and a community orchard as well as larger-than-life sculptures by John Merrill and local school children.

Photo shows John Merrill with a couple of the school children

More information: www.ourcityplanet.co.uk