The official opening of a volunteer base and tool store at a much-loved green space has finally taken place.

Mansfield Woodhouse Millennium Green Trust’s bid to hold a planned ceremony was thwarted twice by the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, it was all smiles (right) as trust volunteers, individual donors, Nottinghamshire County Council vice-chairman Coun Roger Jackson, as well as representatives from Mansfield Building Society and the National Lottery, came together for an official launch event.

The Millennium Green, which is maintained by trustees and volunteers, is open to the public and covers around 3.5 acres in a conservation area close to the centre of Mansfield Woodhouse.

It comprises a mix of grassland, scrub and hedgerows, which are vital for wildlife, as well as providing a panoramic view of the town and a peaceful place to watch Nature and the world go by.

Before the tool store and volunteer base was built, the trust had to store its tools and equipment at premises elsewhere in Mansfield Woodhouse and at volunteers’ homes.

However, in 2018, the trustees —– with the help of a local builder — set about designing and costing a secure tool store and volunteer base on the Green and eventually were successful in securing funding to push ahead with the project.

It was completed in October 2020 but the trust was frustrated in its bid to host a special event to mark the facility’s opening due to the pandemic.

Andrew Riby, secretary of Mansfield Woodhouse Millennium Green Trust, said he was delighted with the new facilities, which have already had a positive impact on the work he and his colleagues carry out.

“The effect of the new tools store and volunteer base has been transformational to work on the Green,” he explained.

“We now know where all the tools are and everything is readily to hand when required. 

“Briefing and training volunteers can now take place inside, away from the elements, and reference material is now stored on site. Much more time is now spent maintaining the Green and undertaking conservation work.

“We would like to thank all of our partners for their support in helping us make these vital improvements for all to enjoy.”

Nottinghamshire County Council contributed funds from its Local Improvement Scheme towards the project, with Mansfield Building Society, the National Lottery and individual donations covering the remainder of the total costs of around £12,975.

The new facilities house heavy tools and enable volunteers to receive training and briefing sessions indoors.

Coun John Cottee, chairman of the county council’s Communities Committee which approved the LIS funding, said: “I would encourage anybody who lives in the area to take advantage of what the Millennium Green has to offer, whether it be to exercise and get more active or to sample the variety of species which can be found there.

“It is community initiatives like this which we are only too happy to support. In fact, the Local Improvement Scheme is in place to help projects that put the community at the heart of its work — and the trust certainly does that.”

Coun Jackson said he was impressed by what he saw during his visit to the Green.

“The trust carries out vital work to maintain the Millennium Green and is a much-valued community asset for the people of Mansfield Woodhouse to enjoy — and long may this continue,” he said.

Council leader and Mansfield North member, Coun Ben Bradley MP, described the Millennium Green as a local gem and paid tribute to the trustees and volunteers.

“I love hearing about groups and individuals in our community whose tireless work and efforts are helping to make a difference to the local environment and people’s health and wellbeing,” he said.

“I’ve been thoroughly impressed by the work which has taken place in this corner of Mansfield Woodhouse and I cannot think of a more deserving cause than the Millennium Green Trust to benefit from funding through our Local Improvement Scheme.”

Fellow Mansfield North member Coun Anne Callaghan said the community of Mansfield Woodhouse is indebted to the devotion shown by the trust.

“The Millennium Green is a delightful area of green space in Mansfield Woodhouse and I cannot thank the trust enough for the work it does to keep it in superb condition for the local community to enjoy,” she added.

“It truly was wonderful to see for myself the work which is taking place there and I hope the role we have played in the building of the tool store and volunteer base will go a long way to ensuring this can continue for many years to come.”

The Millennium Green is on Welbeck Road, Mansfield Woodhouse, and its network of footpaths are fully accessible and suitable for visitors with children’s pushchairs and wheelchairs.

For more information about the Green and the trust, visit www.mwmgreen.weebly.com