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Issue date: 11 July 2006
CHILDREN HELP OFFICIALLY LAUNCH RIVERSIDE PARKLAND
The latest stage of a three year project by Gateshead schoolchildren to transform riverside parkland from a ‘no go’ area, rife with anti-social behaviour, into a haven for the local community, has been officially launched by the Mayor of Gateshead.
The ‘Bankies’, an area located on the river banks at Teams, was previously unpopular with local residents due to its dense forestation, which kept out light and encouraged anti-social behaviour, such as fly tipping and copper burning.
Now the area has been transformed into an attractive, light and safe place to play and visit by local schoolchildren from Tyne View Community Primary School thanks to £160,000 of funding from Bridging NewcastleGateshead and the Single Regeneration Budget. The project has also been supported by Gateshead Council’s Neighbourhood Management Team.
With the help of the Council’s landscape architects, the children from years five and six, have thinned out the trees creating more open space and planted new saplings in appropriate areas. All rubbish and debris has been cleared away from the site and fencing has been erected to provide a boundry for the parkland.
The children, working alongside local metalwork sculptor Graham Hopper, have also helped to design and build an ornamental seat and two sculptures, which double as an entrance way to the Bankies. Based on a water theme to reflect its role as a gateway to the river, the sculpture is a focal point and incorporates many elements of the sea such as the sails of a boat, fish, crabs and sunshine.
The children have also designed the pathways, which act as a platform for the new gateway to the park.
Mayor of Gateshead , Maureen Goldsworthy, officially opened the Bankies on Friday 7 th July at a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by children from Tyne View Community Primary School , board members from Bridging NewcastleGateshead and representatives from Gateshead Council’s Neighbourhood Planning in Schools Project.
Sue Dawson, acting head of school at Tyne View Community Primary School , said: “It is fantastic to see all of the children’s hard work finally coming to fruition. They have been heavily involved from the outset, from organising consultation events with local residents and hosting a ministerial visit to helping to implement their ideas and suggestions for the area. I’m really proud of what they’ve achieved”
Anne Mulroy, Director of Bridging NewcastleGateshead said: “The children from Tyne View Community Primary School deserve a huge pat on the back for the incredible work they have done at the Bankies.”
“Bridging NewcastleGateshead is committed to making both Gateshead and Newcastle even better places to live and this project is a great example of how well this can be achieved when the local community takes an active role in improving their environment.”
Paul Cairns from Gateshead Council’s Neighbourhood Management Team said: “Working with the staff and children from Tyne View has been great. We set out to provide an opportunity for the children to tell us what was wrong with their area and to do something about it. Over the past three years we have done just that which has culminated in this official opening.
“It is important to remember that none of this would have been possible without the ideas of the children.”