THE EDUCATION CENTRE

PROJECT PEACOCK

THE BUILDING OF THE EDUCATION CENTRE AT UPTON COUNTRY PARK

 In September 1996 The Friends of Upton Country Park, working in partnership with the Borough of Poole agreed to build, equip and maintain an ‘Education Centre’ at Upton Country Park. This was the beginning of ‘Project Peacock’.

 The plan was to build a new prefabricated wooden building with two classrooms and a storage area, to be sited at the rear of the Countryside Heritage Centre. The new Education Centre was to replace a very old wooden prefabricated building, which was beyond repair (pictured below)

The Education Centre was to be equipped with everything needed to enable the Countryside Rangers to educate people of all ages and aspects of life about our countryside heritage.

 With costs rising each year, it was decided, in 2000, to start the project with one classroom, and to consider a second when there was an identified requirement and available funds.

 After a number of meetings with English Heritage and Borough of Poole Planning Department, (due to construction on a site of a Grade II* Listed Building). The Project Managers Ellis Belk Associates Ltd. and our builders J. M. Scully Ltd. started work on the 7th January 2002 and the Education Centre was completed on the 29^th March 2002.

 The new Education Centre at Upton Country Park was officially opened on Friday 19^th April 2002 by Annette Brooke, M.P. for Mid Dorset and North Poole Constituency.

The Project was achieved working in close partnership with the Borough of Poole, and with the help of corporate sponsorship from Barclays Bank plc, Merck Ltd., Wessex Water and the Talbot Village Trust.

The Friends contributed in excess of £80,000 towards this project.