AN outdoor activity centre has improved its green performance thanks to a donation from a community benefit fund.

Peat Rigg Outdoor Training Centre, near Pickering, is one of the leading training and education centres of its kind in Europe and has now installed a new carbon neutral heating system which is also helping to educate its students on sustainable energy.

The outdoor facility, based in 100 acres of its own land in Cropton Forest, received the grant from Tees Valley Community Foundation on behalf of EDF Energy Renewables, operator of the offshore wind arm off the coast of Redcar.

Around 2,500 youngsters benefit from the centre each year. The Peat Rigg team run activities for children with a range of complex needs and those from a challenging background.

Director Ian Thorpe said: “The grant has not only helped us to reduce our carbon footprint but also gives us the opportunity to educate our visitors on sustainable energy, which is very important to us at Peat Rigg.

“We teach food chain, how to live in a healthy way and become confident and responsible citizens, and we feel that the new biomass boiler supports the ethos of the centre.”