Francesca Glyn-Jones -
17-Aug-2007 - A £10,000 grant from
the Environment Agency is helping children
with learning and behavioural difficulties
in West Yorkshire.
The grant awarded to Gareth Gaunt, of Sicklinghall
Farm near Wetherby will support his projects
with schools from across the Leeds area.
Gareth works with small groups of children
who are at risk of being excluded from school.
The money has been used to build three
fishing ponds on his farm, buy fishing tackle,
platforms and several types of fish.
Gareth has fully-equipped teaching workshops
on the farm, from which he runs a number
of courses including wood working, tractor
mechanics, horticulture, cookery and art
and media.
Children who visit, work towards an official
‘Fishing and the Environment’ examination,
giving them an opportunity to gain a nationally
recognised qualification.
John Shannon, Environment Agency fisheries
and recreation team leader said: “We are
delighted to be able to support Gareth’s
work. This is a great course that gives
children who are having problems at school
a chance to do something positive and work
towards a qualification which they can use
to get a job in the future.
“It also allows children from inner cities
to experience the work of the countryside
at first hand and hopefully encourage them
to respect their surroundings and the importance
of the local environment.”
Part of the Environment Agency’s role is
to help people get the most out of their
environment, including boaters and anglers.
We sell more than a million rod licences
a year, many to young people coming into
the sport for the first time and all the
money we raise goes straight back into improving
the places where people fish.
+ More
Environment Agency holds Doncaster flood
drop-ins
Francesca Glyn-Jones - 17-Aug-2007 - Staff
from the Environment Agency will be talking
to residents in Doncaster next week who
were affected by the recent flooding.
The aim is to give residents an opportunity
to learn more about the flooding, and for
officers to gather information about how
the flooding affected specific areas.
The meetings are part of a series of drop-ins
which are being organised by the Environment
Agency across the region.
Area flood risk manager Peter Holmes said:
“This is an opportunity for us to explain
our initial findings to residents about
the flooding in their area, what we have
been doing since the flooding and what the
plans are for the future.
“We also want people to tell us how the
flooding affected different homes and streets
because the more we know, the more we can
do to find ways of protecting them. We are
also urging residents to come along with
photographs, and any other documentation
which we can use to plot the path and the
times of the flooding more specifically.”
His team expects to hold more than 20 drop-in
sessions across East, South and West Yorkshire,
and will be letting people know when and
where these will be held in the next few
weeks.
In June, up to 50 millimetres of rain fell
on the Don river catchment in 12 hours.
The average for June across Yorkshire and
the Humber is around 60-70mm.
The Environment Agency is responsible for
flood protection from main rivers and designated
smaller watercourses.
It also issues flood warnings and watches
to people in certain flood risk areas who
have signed up to receive the service.
The Environment Agency has gauges on many
main rivers across Yorkshire which helps
officers to monitor water levels and the
likelihood of flooding.
To find out whether you are eligible for
a flood warning contact our Floodline number
on 0845 988 1188.
