Village SOS for Newstead 

Future Newstead have won the bid to Village SOS, a Big Lottery and BBC initiative in the sum of £433,140.  They will set up Newstead Enterprise, comprising of RCAN, CAST and Future Newstead to take forward the work. All involved are very proud of the hard work they have put into making this work and know that there is plenty more work ahead. The three main priorities for the site are to develop a Music Festival which will be held on September 11th this year, develop the pit ponds in to fishing lakes which will generate income through day and season tickets and finally building an eco-friendly resource centre built from old tyres which will house workshops, classrooms and a visitor centre. The team will work together to transform the villages 220 acre former colliery spoil heap in to a wonderful country park for all. The site attracts birds, flowers and butterflies and it is hoped regenerating the coal heaps will bring in tourists. The cameras will be rolling for the next nine months and will be aired on BBC1 in April 2011. Watch this space.