Schoolgirl names pond created at former woodland quarrying site

The site was originally used as a source of clay to line furnaces, leaving an area which became a seasonal pond which dried out in summer and supported no animal life.

Now Friends of Ecclesall Woods have worked with a range of different bodies to raise the cash and a volunteer workforce to strip out the site, line it with waterproof material to create a permanent pond.

Much of the labour was supplied by the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, which greatly reduced the cost of the project, with the Friends of Ecclesall Woods and Sheffield Council both contributing cash, alongside money from landfill taxes.

The pond was named Colliers Pond through a competition held at Dobcroft Infants School and the winner, pupil Madeline Baileys, joined councillors and other officials for an opening ceremony yesterday.

It has taken two years to complete the project, with the pond now planted with species approved by ecologists. "Now we want to get some aquatic life, and use it as an educational facility for school visits," said a spokesman for the friends group.