Time capsule filled with children’s artwork buried at Warsop Health Hub site

Primary school children’s artwork, drawings and letters have been buried inside a time capsule at the site of a new community health hub.

Mansfield District Council teamed up with pupils ranging from years one to six from Birklands Primary School to create the capsule contents, which has been buried at the Warsop Health Hub construction site off Carr Lane today (24 October).

As part of its procurement commitment to work alongside the local community during key milestones in the £9.2m construction project, the council worked with the local school to capture the essence of the present time with the children contributing letters, drawings, and objects that encapsulate what Warsop is like now.

It was placed in the centre of the car park by Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams and Chief Executive Adam Hill. 

Executive Mayor, Andy Abrahams, added: “It’s very special that we have some of our local schoolchildren here today to make history at the new Health Hub site.

“They have been exploring what items and ideas encapsulate the times we live in for the time capsule and what they want to pass on for the future, which has been inspiring to listen to and be a part of.

“I want to thank Birklands School for all their hard work and creativity. They now have a lasting legacy at the community space, which residents of all ages will enjoy for years to come.”

The Warsop Health Hub will see the installation of a new 15m x 8m swimming pool, a splash play area, a changing village, a gym, a multi-purpose hall, a café viewing and IT area and community space, and is due to open in summer 2024.

Last month, deliveries of the 420 beams and columns from British Steel and Tata Steel were lifted in for the construction to form part of the hub’s structure. In total, 51.547 tonnes of steel will be used.

The delivery of the council’s £9.2m hub was made possible thanks to key funding agreements secured by the authority from various partners and agencies and the district council putting £5m to bring the project to fruition. Other funding agreements include a £1.8m capital grant from Sport England, a £3m allocation from the Government’s Towns Fund and £103,967 from the DLUHC to create a dedicated changing place within the building.

The hub is just one of six projects funded from the £12.3m awarded to Mansfield District Council in 2021 from the Towns Fund allocation.