Elba Park wins Educational Site of the Year at Land Trust awards 2018

Elba Park was the winner of the Educational Site of the Year at the Land Trust Award 2018 following a year which has seen the site deliver activities to nearly 1,000 school children over the last 12 months.

Based in Sunderland, Elba Park has become an increasingly popular place for wildlife and for people to visit and enjoy their local environment.

The team at the site have built excellent working relationships with the local schools which has seen the children enjoy activities such as geocaching, pond dipping, meadow sweeps, crafts, surveys and identification, bulb and tree planting, and heritage activities.

Students from Portland Academy, a school for young people with special educational needs and disability, attend weekly sessions at the site with post-16 students undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh award.

Land Trust director of portfolio management, Alan Carter, said:

“Elba Park is a site that has really embedded itself in to the local community and was a very deserving winner of Educational Site of the Year.

“To deliver activities to nearly 1,000 children this year is a great achievement and testament to the hard work that has been put into building relationships with schools in the local area.

“Getting young people spending time outdoors is absolutely vital. Creating these habits at an early age will hopefully see them take this habit through their lives which should have a hugely positive impact on their physical and mental well-being.”