Clendish Woods on Tottenham Marshes has been brought back to life thanks to a partnership project being launched with the help of Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) Football Club on March 9th 2010.
For more than 30 years Tottenham Marshes has played victim to continued vandalism with burnt benches, broken signage and graffiti spoiling the area for local visitors. Now the area is being re developed, thanks to a phased programme of improvements and Spurs midfielder Luka Modric will attend the launch of the redevelopment.
This unique project, partly funded by the Forestry Commission’s London Tree and Woodland Grant Scheme, is managed by environmental regeneration charity Groundwork London.
Delighted to support this initiative, Luka Modric said: “Getting kids and families leading healthy lifestyles is something we promote at Spurs through the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. We want to encourage young people and families to get out and enjoy their local parks and Tottenham Marshes provide the ideal spot for relaxation and fun with the family.”
The launch on 9 March will see local school children, families and volunteers coming together to highlight how the area is now family, sports and recreation friendly and a great place to see some fantastic wildlife and plants.
“I am very pleased that the Forestry Commission is able to support this particular project. Trees are immensely valuable in many ways, including biodiversity, quality of life and adaptation to climate change. They are important for our future and it is particularly appropriate that children and families are involved in this planting scheme since they will see these trees grow to maturity,” says Ron Melville, Forestry Commission Regional Director, London.
The woodland improvement is part of an ongoing £2 million investment to improve the area. The regeneration of Tottenham Marshes has, so far, taken 5 years and represents a long standing commitment by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority to transform the area and encourage visitors to enjoy the area, play sports, spot wildlife or simply relax. The Authority has sought to create an attractive area of countryside immediately alongside the traffic blighted, industrialised area surrounding the Marshes.
At Clendish Wood the programme of improvements includes a 200m long woodland path, tree planting and a 5 year woodland management plan. “This is the only woodland area on Tottenham Marshes and thanks to this funding we have significantly improved the site, opening it up to create a woodland oasis for the community” said Project Manager Janet Green.
It is hoped the support of Tottenham Hotspur will encourage young people and sports enthusiasts on to the Marshes.
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Notes to Editors
· Over £2m awarded through the Communities & Local Government’s Growth Area Fund has been used to build a new community building at Stonebridge Lock, improve access to the Marshes from neighbouring communities, open up the entrance ways to the site to make them more inviting and create 5km of surfaced paths around the Marshes to enable people of all abilities to use the area in all weathers.
· Tottenham Marshes achieved Green Flag status in 2008 in acknowledgement of the improvements made and the Authority’s positive management of the site.
· Improvements have only been made possible with the close co-operation of British Waterways, Haringey and Waltham Forest.
· Further improvements will include a new pathway across the car park and a new building for the blossoming Canoe & Cycle Hire and Café, although funding is still being pulled together to deliver these.
· It is also hoped to create a new wetland area which will benefit both wildlife and people.
· The Forestry Commission is the Government Department responsible for forestry policy throughout Great Britain. It leads on the development and promotion of sustainable forestry management. In London we are trying to encourage tree planting and woodland management which promotes maximum social, environmental and economic benefits. The Forestry Commission’s Community Grant Scheme supports projects delivering community benefits to schools, open spaces and woodlands in Greater London.
· Groundwork London builds sustainable communities in areas of need through joint environmental action. To do this, they deliver practical projects with their partners in four key areas: communities and young people, urban landscapes and open spaces, environmental services and employment and skills training. www.groundwork.org.uk/london
· Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, the Football Club’s official charitable body, was launched at Number 10 Downing Street by then Prime Minister Tony Blair in January, 2007.
Since then, the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation’s aim has been to use the power of sport, in particular football, to Create Opportunities that Change Lives people in the local community.
The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation achieves these aims by:
Creating Sporting Opportunities
- Delivering 73 different programmes throughout the year across the boroughs of Barnet, Enfield, Epping Forest, Haringey and Waltham Forest, as well as much of Essex and Hertfordshire.
- Through an extensive range of grassroots football programmes, 450 children aged between 7 and 11 attend development centres and elite training programmes each week, offering a unique opportunity within the professional game for children to progress to the Spurs Academy and beyond.
Improving Community Cohesion
- The Community Development team delivers over 3,500 hours of free provision each year for young people aged between 11 and 19 years to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
Recognising and Inspiring Educational Achievement
- More than 6000 children pass through the Spurs Learning Zone each year, helping to improve the educational outcomes of young people from our communities.
- Over the duration of the football season, more than 100 GCSE students attend career workshops delivered in schools and colleges by Foundation coaches.
- Working in partnership with over 100 public, private and voluntary sector organisations in identifying, encouraging and rewarding the achievements and good work of individuals and groups in the community and every opportunity.
Supporting Disabled People
- Providing 13,000 sporting opportunities for people with learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities each year.
- The Disability and Inclusion Programme enables the Foundation to work with up to 12 different specific disability and sensory impairment groups.
Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
- Initiatives aim to help increase the level of physical activity for a wide variety of age groups within the community.
- More than 1,500 children accessed the Healthy Schools programme, which uses Foundation coaches as role models to encourage and promote a positive attitude towards health.
Lee Valley Regional Park stretches 26 miles along the River Lee from Ware in Hertfordshire to East India Dock Basin on the Thames. The Park’s 26 miles comprise a diverse mix of heritage sites, nature reserves and open green spaces alongside world class sports facilities; we attract over 4 million visitors every year.
Lee Valley Regional Park is playing an active part in the London 2012 Games. The new White Water Canoe Centre (just north of the M25 between Waltham Abbey and Waltham Cross) and the VeloPark and Hockey and Tennis Centres in Olympic Park will be owned, managed and funded by Lee Valley Regional Park in legacy. They join our existing sports facilities which include Lee Valley’s Athletics Centre, Riding Centre and Ice Centre to create a chain of sporting excellence across the region.
Press Information:
For more information please contact Lee Valley Regional Park Authority:
Jackie Tolland: 01992 709 933, (M) 07739 990 151, (E) jtolland@leevalleypark.org.uk
Michelle Rosenberg: 01992 709 830, (M) 07920 810 403, (E) mrosenberg@leevalleypark.org.uk
2010-03-03