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This is a one-off chance to create a centre for sustainable education in two heritage mills based in 200 acres of green space in inner Leeds involving the universities, community and private sectors.

Kirkstall Valley Development Trust is one of Leeds most ambitious community driven projects. The Trust was set up in 2016 to develop a learning and leisure park over 200 acres of inner Leeds and to refurbish two heritage mills that lie at its heart. The Trust are working with Leeds City Council, University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, the Centre for Alternative Technology and local community groups to create:

  • A Centre for Future Cities (CFC) in Abbey Mills teaching practical and high level skills for sustainable living, focusing on water, energy, food and housing.
  • Environmental education particularly aimed at young people
  • Energy, growing and nature projects
  • On site power sourced from the river and solar panels
  • New parkland and wildlife areas
  • Improved access, with cycle and walk ways
  • Two refurbished heritage mills
  • Workspace for sympathetic small businesses
  • Flexible community space
  • A public café / bar, events and exhibition space

The CFC intends to be a genuine partnership space bringing together different sectors. It will focus on key areas of city life that need to be, and are being, transformed: transport, energy, food and nature, housing and work. It will do this by:

  • Providing real world opportunities for research and learning from an early stage in development
  • Co-creating and sharing knowledge and understanding between different groups – communities, enterprises, policy makers, researchers, learners
  • Being an exemplar of sustainable good practice in urban scale developments
  • Recognising challenges, evaluating and adapting

Further details can be found at the Trust’s website here

**INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY**

During 2017 the Trust will undertake development work financed by our community share issue (running until April 20th) which will hopefully followed by a development grant from Heritage Lottery to pay for architectural and surveyor fees, project management, marketing and community engagement. Initially we are looking for investors via our crowdfunding page which can be accessed by clicking the link below.

We are very close to our initial £40,000 target so please do support us if you can!