A West Lothian community improvements group has landscaped a local eyesore with a grant of £4,605 generously awarded by the Banks Community Fund.
Stoneyburn and Bents Future Vision Group is a charity formed for the benefit of over 2,000 residents in the local community.
Thanks to this contribution the group has cleaned, cleared and landscaped the area, which was unsightly and had become a hazard to children, turning it into a wild flower meadow.
The Banks Rusha Community Fund is a fund set up by Banks Mining, the family-owned mining, business to support community groups and voluntary organisations and environmental projects in the close proximity of Banks’ Rusha surface coal mine south of Breich, West Lothian.
Tom Stannage, Secretary at the Future Vision Group, said: “Since working to improve the nearby park with the council it has thrown this area into sharp relief.
“We’re delighted to have been able to get our hands dirty once again and turn this eyesore into a natural focal point for the community.”
The adjacent park is incredibly popular, particularly during the nice weather of the summer months, so a number of children were playing around the mound and it had become a safety concern too.
Councillor David Dodds, representative of Fauldhouse and the Breich Valley, said: “I am delighted to see Stoneyburn and Bents Future Vision Group given funding for more environmental improvement work in the area.
“This project will complement the improvement work already taken place in the nearby playpark by both the council and the group.
“I’m sure local families will appreciate the work taking place to improve the area.”
It is hoped that the further improvement to the aesthetic of centre of the village and encourage more people than ever to enjoy the fantastic atmosphere and community space.
Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at the Banks Group, said: “We’re delighted to help Stoneyburn and Bents Future Vision Group realise their ambition to remove and improve a local eyesore. The centre of the village is a real meeting place and we are glad to have helped to make it an even more pleasant place to be.
“We aim to deliver long term positive benefits to the local communities that host our developments and in this part of West Lothian we are pleased to have supported improving facilities to promote a better quality of community life.
“With the restoration and landscaping of the Rusha site that is now taking place this project feels like a particularly good fit.”
The Banks Rusha Community Fund is a fund set up by family-owned Banks Mining, to support community groups, voluntary organisations and environmental projects in the Fauldhouse and Breich Valley Ward area of West Lothian.
The Rusha surface mine, to the west of West Calder, started production in 2012 and restoration works are now being progressed.
The Banks Group estimates that the Rusha surface mine has contributed more than £5 million to the local economy every year for the last few years, through wages and supply chain contracts.
