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The Winter Garden in Sheffield, one of the largest temperate glasshouses to be built in the UK in the last hundred years, will open to the public on Thursday 12th December. The Garden is part of the 'Remaking the Heart of the City' project, which is regenerating Sheffield City centre with the help of over £21million of Lottery money from the Millennium Commission. The opening of the Winter Garden will be marked by a spectacular public celebration which will include Sheffield's biggest ever lantern procession featuring 1,800 school children, street entertainment and carol singing and a fireworks display in the Peace Gardens. Housing 2,500 exotic plants from around the world, the Winter Garden is a spectacular addition to Sheffield City centre. The glass and timber structure measures 70 metres long and 22 metres wide with enormous wooden arches reaching nearly 21 metres high. 150 species of plants will fill the glasshouse from Madagascan palms to Norfolk Island Pines, which can grow to over 150ft high. Mike O'Connor CBE, Director of the Millennium Commission, said "Sheffield is a city with a proud history but it also has exciting and ambitious plans for the future. I am delighted that we have been able to help build that future with £21.2m of Lottery money and I am sure that we are creating a lasting legacy which will be enjoyed for generations to come." The opening of the Winter Garden marks the completion of the public part of the Heart of the City project which includes three new public squares and the stunning and hugely successful Millennium Galleries which opened in April 2001. The project is one of a number of Millennium Commission supported schemes which are revitalising city centres by providing new facilities, creating jobs and encouraging tourism. The Millennium Commission is distributing a total of over £2 billion of Lottery money around the UK with over £100 million going to new gardens and glasshouses. These include the internationally acclaimed Eden project in Cornwall, the National Botanic Garden of Wales, dedicated to preserving threatened plant species, and Wildwalk At-Bristol, which offers visitors a journey through steamy tropical gardens. -ends- Notes to Editors 1 The Millennium Commission is one of the good causes which distributes funds from the National Lottery. 2 The Millennium Commission has supported: - Around 200 new buildings, environmental projects and visitor attractions on over 3000 sites across the UK.;
- Over 100 Awards Schemes which distribute Millennium Awards to individuals for community based projects. Almost 25,000 people have already received a Millennium Award and there are still thousands of Awards available. Further information is available on 0800 06801 2000;
- A UK-wide programme of community festivals which began on New Year's Eve 1999 and culminated on New Year's Eve 2000 with celebrations in 32 towns and cities across the UK.;
- The Millennium Experience at Greenwich and the National Programme.
3 The Millennium Commission stopped receiving funds from the National Lottery in August 2001. For further information contact the Millennium Commission Press Office on 020 7880 2007, out of hours 07775 812 820. For further information contact the Millennium Commission Press Office on 020 7880 2007, out of hours 07775 812 820. The Millennium Commission web sites can be accessed at www.millennium.gov.uk and www.starpeople.org.uk For television enquiries please contact Marc Leuw at The Television Consultancy on 020 7435 4343. back to top Copyright © 2002 The Millennium Commission
Millennium Commission 10th-December-2002
Categories: News Archive
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