Community Centre, Living Rainforest and Silk Mill to benefit from Greenham Common Trust's 2004 major awards

Greenham Common Trust has announced that the Greenham Community Centre, The Living Rainforest in Hampstead Norreys and the Whitchurch Silk Mill, will all receive one of its 2004 major charitable awards.

The Greenham Community Association is to receive £30,000 towards the cost of refurbishing the existing Community Centre internally and externally. The Association has had plans produced for a redesign of the centre involving a new reception, new offices and the relocation of the cloakrooms to include new changing and shower facilities. Externally it will receive a make-over with new windows and improved hard landscaping.

Gaynor O'Brien of Greenham Community Association says: “The Centre is currently an under-used facility that suffers because of its poor internal design and an austere exterior. The redesign will transform it into a real asset that will benefit the whole community enabling residents to enjoy a wider range of activities and events.”

The Living Rainforest has been awarded £10,000 by Greenham Common Trust to enable its fossil fuel heating to be replaced with an ecologically sensitive, renewable energy system. The new system will use a sustainable "carbon-neutral" wood supply, grown locally.

Karl Hansen of The Living Rainforest says: “We offer a unique educational environment where people of all ages can learn how vital the rainforests and other ecosystems are to humanity. The new sustainable heating system will further enrich the Living Rainforest experience and enable us to inform visitors about sustainability.”

The Whitchurch Silk Mill in North Hampshire has also been awarded £10,000 by the Trust, for essential restoration works including covering the cost of conserving the nineteenth century waterwheel at the Grade II* listed museum. The waterwheel, which was built in 1890 and provides power for much of the mill's working machinery, requires a major overhaul to preserve it as a unique part of the region's industrial heritage.

Stephen Bryer of Whitchurch Silk Mill says: “The Silk Mill provides employment for local people and is a major tourist attraction with around 18,000 visitors each year bringing wider benefits to the local economy. We also maintain the silk making skills that were first practised in the town over 200 years ago and are very grateful to the Greenham Common Trust for this valuable support.”

Chairman of the Trust's Distribution Committee, Glenn Clarkson says: “Once again applications for our major awards were heavily oversubscribed and reaching a decision proved to be a very difficult task.”

He adds: “The Trust's investment in New Greenham Park has allowed the distribution of over a million pounds to good causes, the arts and local charities since 1997. The Trust's careful management of this investment will, in years to come, allow the support of more of the larger community and social projects such as these.”

See the complete list of awards for 2004. For more information about Greenham Common Trust's Grant Aid programme contact Melissa Elliott on 01635 817445 or e-mail melissa@greenham-common-trust.co.uk