Barnet Environment Centre is celebrating the official opening of its newly installed fully accessible paths around the perimeter of its seven-and-a-half-acre nature reserve off Byng Road.
A soft rubberised surface is designed to be mobility friendly providing easy access for wheelchairs and push chairs.
This much needed improvement is of critical importance as the nature reserve is shared with the adjoining Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice and together with its paths, woodland and gardens this green oasis provides a tranquil setting.
During the current academic year, the environment centre is hoping to exceed last year’s total and welcome over 2,000 local school pupils and young people to tour the reserve, learn more about its trees and fauna and look out for a variety of pondlife.
In bad weather the previous paths often became waterlogged and muddy, but the problem has been solved by laying a new surface made from rubber mulch and resin which is soft and smooth and easy to walk on.
There are benches along the paths at pause and ponder points around the edge of the reserve, all installed at a cost of around £100,000 with financial help from the Hadley Trust.
Alison Goodman, Noah’s Ark’s deputy chief executive, welcomed guests at the official opening of a what she said was a highly symbolic path – a path that connected the children’s hospice directly to the nature reserve and which reflected the strength of their magnificent partnership.
(From left to right, Chipping Barnet MP, Theresa Villiers, with Philip and Janet Hulme of the Hadley Trust and Alison Goodman far right).
Dick Elms, vice chair of the centre’s trustees, joined Alison Goodman in thanking the Hadley Trust for their continued support and for financing the perimeter paths which had succeeded in bringing together the work of the hospice and the nature reserve.
“Being in tranquil green spaces is so beneficial and a huge comfort for sick children and their families so the completion of these paths is of huge benefit in widening access to the centre.
“We hope to increase the biodiversity of the site still further with an orchard – and no doubt have even more visitors as well as our family of foxes, muntjac deer and the occasional badger.
“When we did our bird survey this year we counted 36 difference species of birds within an hour – so we are doing our very best!”
He explained the history of the reserve. Barnet Council opened the Byng Road centre as a site for nature education in 1975 but after 20 years decided it was no longer financially viable.
When the council withdrew, friends of the centre set up a new organisation and at the inaugural event in 2005 they welcomed Chipping Barnet’s new MP Theresa Villiers who had given them consistent support.
In 2007, the council decided to sell the site on a 120-year lease on condition the new owners – Noah’s Ark Hospice – allowed the environment centre to continue.
“Having Noah’s Ark Hospice on site we had to make sure there was safe and easy access, and the completion of the new paths mean people with push chairs and wheelchairs can get round in all weathers.”
Other recent improvements have included the installation of a garden for the centre, which was financed with a £10,000 grant from Barnet Council, and a separate multi-sensory garden beside the children’s hospice.
After the official opening, guests set off to walk around the perimeter path. From left to right, Philip and Janet Hulme, Alison Goodman, Theresa Villiers MP, Dick Elms, Sophie Andrews, chief executive of Noah’s Ark, and Bernard Johnson, chair of the environment centre’s trustees.
