Key facts
Area: North East
Project: Lakeside Explorers
Programme: Changing Spaces
Funding for the Lakeside Explorer project in Exhibition Park Newcastle upon Tyne came from Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces fund, which is managed by Groundwork under the name of Community Spaces.
The scheme at Exhibition Park has turned the Town Moor end of the site’s boating lake into a mosaic of habitats to attract wildlife and provide a leisure and learning asset for visitors and families.
The venture has created a diverse range of habitats, including deeper and shallower water levels, marsh areas, reed beds which will also filter water runoff from the moor, boardwalks over the wildlife areas, dipping platforms, a viewing deck, seating and new native species planting on the lake banks.
On a typically grey North East November morning volunteers, local school children, project staff and funders arrived in Newcastle’s Exhibition park officially open the Lakeside Explorers project.
The cold wet weather did not dampen spirits as Nigel Todd, councillor of Wingrove, cut the ribbon leading to the walkway around the new wetland habitat. He was assisted by students of West Jesmond Primary School, Royal Grammar School and Newcastle Preparatory School, who excitedly rushed forward to explore the new areas further.
Then it was time for volunteers to put the finishing touches to the lakeside walk by planting reeds. These are an important part of the project as they work as a filter to clean the water. The improved water quality will help to attract more wildlife. Volunteers from Northumbria University’s SCAN project braved the chill, wading into the water to dig out holes and bring in the new reeds. Big Lottery Fund’s Lynne Michelson did not hesitate to show that BIG’s support is about more than just money when she joined volunteers in the lake to plant the reeds.