Friday 27th October 2006
(ref:
358/2006)
Forget about the one that got away...because angling fans in Spring View have landed a real whopper thanks to Wigan Council’s Youth Offending Team (YOT).
The YOT’s Reparations Team has just finished a 17-week project to bring a popular fishing haunt in the area up to scratch with a series of major environmental improvements.
The improvement work has seen the car park area replaced and 1,500 metres of footpath created to ensure anyone wanting to go fishing can get to the area quickly and safely.
The pathway is five feet wide to provide vehicle access for the whole lake. This will be particularly useful for disabled anglers who will be able to drive to their chosen fishing spot and cast off.
Other improvements to the site include large areas of nearby grassland being cut back to encourage wild flowers and wildlife back to the area.
Reparation Co-ordinator Cath Lomas said: “This project has been extremely beneficial to this community because it is of high ecological importance in an urban setting. It has been an excellent example of the whole community working together to achieve a common goal and has helped to bring generations closer together.”
The Reparation Team works with young people who have been given community-based penalties by the courts for offences. The team gets the young people to work to put something back into their own or other communities.
Cath says: “The young people have gained life skills, worked as part of a team and shown compassion for the anglers. This has been a learning experience the young people can be proud of.”
Funding for the project has come from a number of different sources including the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and the National Lottery. It has also received special support from Mayor of Wigan and Spring View ward councillor Eunice Smethurst and her Abram ward colleagues.
In return for all their hard work the anglers who use the site have agreed to allow the young people to make full use of the site and they will provide all the necessary equipment such as rods and landing nets.
“The project will have a far-reaching effect on the environment,” says Cath. “By providing an excellent fishing area, encouraging people to use local facilities rather than travelling further afield. It is also encouraging participation in sport and given young people a facility in the fresh air and it’s certainly a lot better for you than sitting in front of the telly or computer screen!”
The project will be officially opened by Mayor of Wigan Cllr Eunice Smethurst at a later date and Cath says that the YOT is committed to taking care of all their hard work through a rolling maintenance programme.
Notes to Editors
For more information contact Wigan Council Reparation Co-ordinator Cath Lomas on 01942 487100.
