Reclaim the Earth Centre - people power needed for occupation campaign

Attention: Do you want to live more cheaply? Learn and share skills, support yourself and build community?
We need support for the takeover of the Earth Centre, we intend to transform it into a camp for sustainable living and community activism.

The Earth Centre was developed on derelict land left over from former coal pits, it was intended to be the museum for the millenium. Initial plans were for a gradual development of the site, incorporating community-led projects and with much construction work being undertaken by Mowlem, who used the site to train apprentices. The first stage of that project opened in 1994, including a sustainable aquaculture centre and a community farm.

In 1995 the Millennium Commission made an award to Earth Centre, which became one of its Landmark Millennium projects. The site was completely redesigned and virtually all existing landscaping and projects were destroyed, which lost the goodwill of the local community who felt excluded from the project. From 1996 work progressed on the remediation of the remaining polluted land and the design and construction of the many buildings and exhibitions.

In September 2004 the attraction closed to the public, and only pre-booked school parties were allowed. By the end of October, the Earth Centre, monument to Sustainability, was to the money men un-sustainable and was put in the hands of administrators. It is now in the hands of the Council who surprise surprise have made no effort to return it to its original intent. Instead the council chooses to allow access to Cerberus Airsoft a company specialising in providing war games and shooting outings to a select membership group. General public will be thrown off by the police!!

We think that this is an amazing site and the original concept behind the Earth Centre is a fantastically intelligent way of educating communities about sustainable living. It is now the time to return the Earth Centre to the people.

We need support in many forms to make this happen. To begin with we need people to come and help occupy the site, we will need tools and volunteers. This is a great opportunity for anyone that has been wanting to live in a community, in an eco village setting and a real chance to put South Yorkshire on the map for environmental education and lifestyle.

Please help contact -  thereismore2lfefolks@yahoo.co.uk