New art installation designed by youngsters to be proudly displayed at new city horticultural nursery

Youngsters from six city schools have created a very special art installation which will take pride of place in a new and exciting purpose-built city horticultural nursery.

The art work will be officially unveiled later this week as part of the celebrations to mark the official opening of ‘The Arium’, which will replace Leeds City Council’s existing Red Hall Nursery in Whinmoor. Boasting over 19,000 square metres of glasshouse and 22,000 panels of glass, the state-of-the-art facility located in Thorner will not only offer visitors an extensive range of plants for sale with readily available, specialist advice from expert staff with over 300 years in total of growing and plant experience, but also an on-site shop and café, outdoor picnic area and a children’s play area. Through the improved technology and enhanced efficiency offered at The Arium, there will be sufficient growing space to produce over 500 different plant species on site annually, whilst continuing the extensive production of 3.5m bedding and 250,000 edible plants for use in community parks and the bloom initiative.

Media opportunity:

When: Thursday 5 October at 10.30am.

Where: The Arium - Thorner Lane, Leeds, LS14 3FB (see notes to editors section for more information on directions)

What: Members of the media are invited to attend the official opening of The Arium. Cllr Lucinda Yeadon will be joined by school children to unveil the new art installation to mark the opening. A short tour of the facility will also be available to the media. Interviews, photography and filming opportunities will all be available. We would ask that cameras and photographers are in place before 10.30am. Please could you confirm your attendance with the press office.

While the final design of the art installation is being kept firmly under wraps, Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils were encouraged to proudly display their ‘green fingered’ credentials on a six metre wide canvas. Schools to take part included; Grimes Dyke Primary School; Thorner C of E Primary School; Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School; Swarcliffe Primary School; Alwoodley Primary School and Carr Manor Community School.

As a big thank you for their tremendous hard work, all of the young people that took part in the project received an individual green gift. Each school has also collected an exclusive goodie pack from The Arium, including items such as compost, bird feed, children’s tools and growing trays to support their own horticultural projects.

Friends of the Arium will also be taking part in the opening weekend and providing an exciting range of activities for the whole family to enjoy and discover. The activities will be themed around gardening, Leeds in Bloom, food growing, wildlife, the environment and the great outdoors. On offer will include a climbing wall, farm animals, a pop up allotment, bulb planting, nature-themed arts and crafts, face painting, advice on gardening for wildlife, food growing and lots, lots more! The activities at the opening event are all free and will run from 10am – 3.30pm on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October 2017.

Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environment and sustainability, said:

“The art installation which has been created by Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils from six of our primary schools is absolutely fantastic and we can’t wait to see it proudly on display at The Arium. This will be a great addition to our new state-of-the-art horticultural nursery in Thorner which is simply stunning. I would like to offer a big thank you to all of the young people for their efforts.

“A tremendous amount of hard work has been undertaken to make our dream of The Arium a reality. We are really looking forward therefore to the public taking a look at what we have to offer over our family-friendly themed opening weekend and hearing their views.”

Notes to editors:

The Arium is located on Thorner Lane, Leeds, LS14 3FB.

To visit The Arium site, turn off the A64 onto Thorner Lane, and take the second turning on your right after Whinmoor Cemetery.

For media enquiries, please contact;

Colin Dickinson, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 39 51578

Email: colin.dickinson@leeds.gov.uk