Youngsters from Woodhouse West Primary School in Coisley Hill were invited to bury the capsule by local affordable housing specialist Lovell, social enterprise Home Group, Sheffield City Council, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Frank Haslam Milan (FHM), who are working together on a major new housing development on Wickfield Drive at the nearby Scowerdons neighbourhood.
The pupils filled the capsule, which was specially made by craftsmen from Lovell, with a selection of items from the school including class photos, a dinner menu and a prospectus, as well as newspapers and items relating to the local area including a ‘What’s On’ guide, historical maps, and a copy of the planning permission for the new homes. They then picked up shovels to help bury the capsule, and also planted an oak tree, to mark the occasion.
The capsule will remain buried in the school grounds until November 2060 when it will be dug up and opened by students, allowing them to see how school life has changed in half a century.
“Wherever we work, we’re keen to involve the local community in our projects,” explains Lovell regional director Noel Adams. “With Woodhouse West Primary School being so close to the new homes we are building at Wickfield Drive, and many of the pupils coming from the Scowerdons estate, we thought this would be a fun way of helping them to find out more about the scheme.”
“We were delighted to be involved in this exciting project,” says Woodhouse West Primary School learning mentor Tina Holmes. “Generations of parents, staff and children have been attending Woodhouse West Primary School for many years, many of whom grew up on the Scowerdons estate.
“It will be really interesting to know what the future community think of our lives in 2010. Hopefully some of the adults present when the time capsule is opened in 2060 will remember it being buried.”
“We’re always pleased to get the next generation involved in our projects,” says Stuart Massey, Home Group’s Scowerdons, Weakland and Newstead (SWAN) project director. “We’re definitely here for the long-term. This project is all about offering homes where people want to live and a sense of community is really important here.”
“I’m delighted that Lovell and FHM have involved local school children in their housing scheme in this area through the time capsule project,” says Councillor Penny Baker, Sheffield City Council’s cabinet member for housing, regeneration and planning. “Creative ideas like this bring communities together and get different people involved with local developments, which is great to see.”
“The burial of the time capsule is an excellent idea and will ensure that future generations of the community will be able to see the impact of the regeneration on the Scowerdons estate,” says Sarah Coutts, project manager for the HCA.
“After creating many happy memories during the construction phase at Scowerdons, we were delighted to witness the burial of the time capsule, which in turn will hopefully create happy memories for the children of Woodhouse West Primary School in the future,” says Carol Atherton, head of bid management at FHM.
At Wickfield Drive, Lovell is carrying out a £3.8 million scheme for Home Group and Sheffield City Council to build 38 homes which will be available for affordable rent, shared ownership and outright sale. The project, which forms the first phase of a major regeneration programme to create 550 new homes at the estate, is due to be completed in spring 2011.
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