A children’s charity has partly crowdfunded its way towards a planned new outdoor learning and activity area.
South Bank based Kidz Konnekt was granted planning permission by Redcar and Cleveland Council last month for a change of use to open land adjacent to Eston Leisure Centre.
The grassed area is now set to incorporate an outdoor wooden classroom, benches and tables, a ‘ninja warrior’ assault course with climbing apparatus and ropes, a rewilding section with space for a fire pit and hammocks, along with green space featuring trees, bushes and wildflowers.
The project is costing about £60,000 with an online crowdfunding campaign last year involving youngsters successfully contributing more than £7,500 towards the total in the space of 62 days.
Kidz Konnekt operates a youth club at the leisure centre, off Normanby Road, with the charity leasing the land in question off the council, which is said to be supportive of the plans.
Youth development manager Alan Lonsdale said the land would be fenced off, making it safe for young people to use and engage in physical activity.
An archery range is also planned.
He said: “We are quite far on with the project now, obviously we have had planning permission.
“Phase one, which will involve getting the security fencing up, will start in a couple of weeks.”
The charity identified the need for an outdoor space during the covid-19 pandemic and expects about 500 children a year will take part in the activities planned.
A description of the planned development submitted to the council described issues with anti-social behaviour on the land.
It said: “The site is currently a green field outside of our youth and community centre, which is not currently used for anything.
“It has been a health and safety issue for us since we opened the club due to off road motorbikes using it as a cut through, cars driving around the leisure centre gates and dog walkers exercising their dogs and letting them foul creating risk to our centre users.”
Mr Londsale said: “As a charity we have multiple funders supporting projects like this.
“We are a youth service, we go into schools, have a young people’s mental health arm, but are also a traditional youth club, which is open every night and during the school holidays.
“We keep kids engaged and off the streets and do quite a lot of work in the area.”
He added: “The young people have been involved in the design of this from the start.
“We also did a crowdfunding campaign which they did a video for.”
A council planning document said: “The application site comprises part of the managed grassed open area situated between the leisure centre building and the Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation building and the associated car park, access road and enclosed synthetic football pitch.
“The proposed development would incorporate security fencing around the perimeter, thereby removing open access onto the land.”
It suggested the loss of open access was of “limited significance” due to the size of the site and proximity to nearby buildings and it had no biodiversity value.
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There was also a “relative abundance” of accessible green space in the area, most notably the nearby Eston recreation site, and closing the land off would not prevent access to this via Normanby Road.
Kidz Konnekt is about £8,500 short of adding one item remaining on the children’s wish list – a climbing wall – and is still looking for donations.
To get in touch drop a message via the @kidzkonnekt or @konnektoutdoorsNE Facebook pages, send an e-mail to Admin@kidzkonnekt.co.uk or call 07741637043.
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