What’s new?
Wildife Trust set to get more people outdoors
Today (Wednesday 9 October) sees the official launch of the Great Outdoors Project by The Wildlife Trust in Northamptonshire.
It aims to encourage local communities to become more involved and engaged with five local nature reserves.
They are Lings, Storton’s Pits and Kingsthorpe Meadows in Northampton, Summer Leys, near Wellingborough and King’s Wood in Corby.
The project has been awarded just over £97,000 from Natural England’s Access to Nature programme, funded by £25m from the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme
The ‘Great Outdoors Project’ will be working with all people, of all ages but there’s a special focus on engaging with people with disabilities, young people and those from black and minority ethnic groups. These are audiences that have previously been under-represented in the work of Wildlife Trust across the county.
The launch event today marks the start of the three year project which is concerned with improving understanding, access and enjoyment of our natural environment.
The scheme will focus on three broad themes; community awareness and active participation; education, learning and volunteering; and creating welcoming, well-managed, wildlife-rich places.
Events that reflect the needs and desires of local communities will take place at each reserve. These may include guided walks, practical conservation tasks and natural arts & crafts events. Access and interpretation improvements may also be made on site.
There are many reasons The Wildlife Trust wanted to get involved in improving access to nature.
Northamptonshire is on the brink of major economic change as a result of the Milton Keynes - South Midlands Growth Area bringing 100,000 new houses to the county. Green spaces play an important role in the development of sustainable communities, helping to improve quality of life by protecting the environment and enhancing biodiversity, providing opportunities for active recreation and cultural diversity and by promoting a sense of community and community safety.
Mayor of Northampton, Councillor Michael Hill, attended the launch:
“It’s a fascinating project and encourages us to get out and see nature. Areas like this at Lings act as the ‘green lungs’ – they are of exceptional value- and local people should embrace what we have around us”
As guardians of five Local Nature Reserves and three nature reserves near to Corby, Northampton and Wellingborough, The Wildlife Trust has a fantastic opportunity to engage existing and new local communities.
Louise Tuffin, Community Involvement Officer for the Great Outdoors Project says:
“We are delighted to have received this funding from Access to Nature as it means we will be able to significantly increase the community work we do across Northamptonshire”.
“We have some really terrific reserves in the county and we want as many people to enjoy them as possible. As part of the Great Outdoors Project we will be asking local communities their views on their local green spaces to identify what we are doing right and where we can improve. We will then be able to tailor the activities we organise to meet the needs of people living nearby, so that the reserves become more valued community assets”.
ENDS
For more information please contact Louise Tuffin, Community Involvement Officer for the Great Outdoors Project, on 01604 405285 or email louise.tuffin@wildlifebcnp.org
Notes to Editor:
The ‘Great Outdoors Project’ launch is on Wednesday 9th December 2009, 10-12pm at Lings House Environmental Centre, Wildlife Trust Office, Lings Local Nature Reserve, Northamptonshire. To attend or for further media enquiries please contact:
Jo Fowler, Communications Manager, on 01954 713551 or email jo.fowler@wildlifebcnp.org
Bernadette Mooney, Communications Officer, on 01954 713552 or email bernadette.mooney@wildlifebcnp.org
About The Wildlife Trust:
Bringing people together to take action for wildlife is the Trust’s mission. We manage 129 nature reserves - all of them free to visit – and 95% of the population live within five miles of one of our reserves. We are working to make these wildlife havens bigger, better and more joined-up – vital to help wildlife to adapt to a changing climate. By gathering valuable information about wildlife and working with other landowners the Trust also monitors and safeguards wildlife beyond the boundary of its reserves.
For more information see www.wildlifebcnp.org
