The Darwin Gardens Trust is delighted to confirm that we have been awarded a grant of almost £2000 from the Shell Better Britain Community Projects Fund. The energy and enterprise of the trustees, the enthusiastic commitment of volunteers in creating the Green, and its obvious popularity with the local community, have all contributed to the success of our application for this much-appreciated award.

The grant will be used towards creating a new viewpoint seating area, to be known as 'Millennial Vision', which will commemorate the successful establishment and progress of Darwin Gardens Millennium Green. This novel feature is being designed as a belvedere, and will be connected to the recently-constructed 'Sand Walk', named in honour of its famous original laid out by Charles Darwin in his own garden at Down House in Kent.

We expect the feature to be completed this summer and hope to make it the centrepiece for celebrating the first anniversary of our official opening, on Midsummer Day (June 24th). We are obviously very grateful to the Shell Better Britain Campaign for their recognition and support of this landmark project to commemorate the Millennium in Ilkley.

We also hope to win further glory for Ilkley in the Millennium Project Competition to be organised by Yorkshire in Bloom. This is the first year they have held this competition, and we look forward to putting on a good show for the judging in July.

Following their recent grand litter picking session, Ilkley in Bloom have laid their feature flagstone in the Millennium Maze. Over half of the feature flagstones are now in position and we shall be installing the remainder throughout the year.

Our free information leaflet is now available from the Tourist Information Centre adjoining the public library. The leaflet contains a handy map, brief descriptions of the features to be found on the Green, and also an application form for visitors who would like to dedicate a flagstone in the Millennium Maze. Later in the year we also plan to install a leaflet dispenser on site at our main notice board.