Fun and education at new Somerset Earth Science Centre

 

Tarmac Limited and other major quarrying companies in Somerset have joined forces with the Somerset County Council's aggregates levy sustainability fund to ensure that education and fun are on the agenda for children when they visit the newly built Somerset Earth Science Centre.

The environmentally friendly, carbon neutral £600k building, which opens at the end of this month (January) replaces the old East Mendip Study Centre at Whatley Quarry and boasts a bigger and better classroom equipped with all the latest teaching aids and also offers facilities for people with disabilities or special needs.

Peter Barkwill, Project Manager and Director of the Centre said: "This is a very exciting time in the evolution of the centre from its original base at Whatley Quarry where it has been for ten years, and this new building will provide a wonderful facility."

Martin Riley, Tarmac south west area director, added: "I am extremely pleased and proud to be involved with this new Centre. It is the ideal place to learn the connection between quarrying and the things that we use in our homes on a daily basis. We hope to continue our involvement with the Centre for a long time and see it making a valuable contribution to those using it for National Curriculum studies."

Up to 32 children aged over seven years can be accommodated at the Centre at Moons Hill Quarry, near the Mendips village of Stoke St Michael and all teaching material is linked to the National Curriculum.

Activities are led by experienced Study Centre staff and include classroom sessions to study different rock types and their uses, the use of limestone and quarry safety. Quarry tours cover the entire process of extraction of rock, from drilling to processing and transportation and a fieldwork visit to a second site looks at regional geology, archaeology, ecology and geography. Risk assessments have been prepared for all activities and are provided on request.

Geologists, university students, adult history groups and local interest groups are also welcome and all Centre services are free of charge. The Centre is managed by a charitable company with running costs underwritten by the Mendip Quarry Producers (MQP), comprising Tarmac and other main quarrying companies.

An official ceremony is planned for July with Princess Anne being invited to perform the task of declaring the Centre officially open.

For more information please Contact PR.

21 January 2009