A working group looking after the reclamation of an old farm building alongside the River Nidd in Knaresborough is celebrating a funding package which will allow the project to be completed.
A grant of £8,500 has recently been received from WREN and a £500 shortfall in the initial bid has been offered by a local businessman. This means that work at Conyngham Hall farm site can be finished and further improvements included thanks to support from local charities.
WREN is the UK’s largest distributive environmental body and has funded over 4500 projects across much of the UK with over £110 million since 1998. With a Head Office in Norfolk WREN distributes the Landfill Communities Funds to community and environmental projects within ten miles of landfill sites operated by Waste Recycling Group Ltd.
The disused farm site is located near to Conyngham Hall and the building, which is owned by Harrogate Borough Council, had become unsafe and its derelict state was spoiling this conservation area popular with residents and tourists. The working group took on the task of reclaiming the building not only because of its historic interest but also so that the area around it could be cleared and opened up for people to enjoy.
The Knaresborough Lions Club has donated £800 towards the cost of an information panel ‘the River, the Race and the Ruin’ and the Rotary Club of Knaresborough will donate two new picnic benches one of which will be suitable for people with disabilities.
Cllr Anne Jones, Chair of the Conyngham Hall Farm Site Working Group, says it has been a real partnership initiative.
Cllr Anne Jones added:
As well as this funding package, we have been helped in no short measure by the generosity of local company HACS Construction. We have had a lot of support from Harrogate Borough Council’s staff from the building management, parking, bereavement services and park teams. We have also had many hours of help from the Army Apprentices College in Harrogate.
To keep costs down we traded stone to pay for the initial remedial works and we even managed to donate some stone to help repair the walls of Jacob Smith Park.
Peter Cox, Managing Director of WREN, said:
WREN makes a difference to people’s lives by awarding grants to community, environmental and heritage projects across the UK. We are delighted to support the Conyngham Hall Farm Site Working Group and its valuable work.
The work is scheduled to be completed this summer when the fencing will be removed and the area will be fully open for public access.
