Projects in Sheffield, Leeds, York and Ryedale will create new habitats, improve facilities for wildlife watchers and explore the untold stories behind a local park and gardens, reconnecting people of all ages with natural heritage on their doorstep. Volunteers and local people will be at the heart of all four projects. 

[quote=Fiona Spiers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber]"These four latest projects vary in size and location but what they all have in common is a celebration of the region’s wealth of beautiful parks, gardens and wildlife sites."[/quote]

Fiona Spiers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “These four latest projects vary in size and location but what they all have in common is a celebration of the region’s wealth of beautiful parks, gardens and wildlife sites. It’s thanks to National Lottery players that we can continue to raise awareness of such biodiversity and help local people protect it for future generations.”

Sheffield Living Water

The Froglife Trust has been granted £92,700 to improve seven heathland sites around the city. Seven existing ponds will be restored and four new ponds created, more than six hectares of heathland will be restored and two hectares of new heathland created.  This secures habitats for amphibians and reptiles among other species. Children from six Sheffield schools will help out, collecting frog spawn from local ponds for a Tadpoles in the Classroom activity. The tadpoles raised from the frogspawn will then be released to their original ponds by the children. Volunteers will be recruited and trained in a range of skills and support groups formed for three sites that currently don’t have them.

Kathy Wormald, Chief Executive of the Froglife Trust, said: “Froglife is delighted that HLF is supporting the Sheffield Living Water project.  This project is a perfect combination of enriching our natural environment and educating younger generations about the importance of wildlife in an engaging and fun manner”.

Charting the history of Meanwood Park with local people

Popular local Meanwood Park covers 72 acres of woodlands, meadows and mown grass in North Leeds. Adjacent is a further 90 acres of gardens, The Hollies, that includes national collections of a range of plants. The area also has a strong industrial heritage where 19th century corn, flax and paper mills once stood, powered by a beck that still runs through the area. Leeds-based organisation A Quiet Word will use a £9,800 grant to train volunteers to  interview older members of the community and gather their memories to build up a people’s history of the park and gardens. Three guided walks will also be organised for next spring, two looking at historic and industrial connections, and one concentrating on plants and animals to be found there. A book and accompanying CD will be published.

The Quiet Word team said: “‘Meanwood is a great community with a rich history - we have a fantastic Park and we don’t shout about it enough.  We are really looking forward to digging into the archives, as well as digging in to the ground, quite literally - to share the stories about the Park and its place in the City of Leeds, the history of the plants and shrubs and how they came to be here, and the men and women who have lived and worked in the area. It’s wonderful to have the support from HLF so we can now start on this project we’ve been dreaming about for so long.’”

The Heritage of York Gate

A hidden gem, York Gate is regarded as one of the world’s best small gardens.  Just one acre in area, it is a living, growing testament to the Arts of Crafts movement. Created in the second half of the 20th century  it was laid out as a number of garden ‘rooms’ by the Spencer family that lived in the house. Perennial, formerly The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Society, has received a £84,200 grant for a volunteer-led project to research the garden’s history and create a permanent exhibition for visitors, all part of a drive to increase public awareness and help sustain the garden, credited as the only one of its type in the North of England.

Richard Capewell, Chief Executive of Perennial, said: “This award is a tremendous help in realising our long term ambition to preserve this wonderful garden, involving the community and volunteers, and capturing the history of the creation of this exceptional space.

Cropton Wildlife Hide 

The Forestry Commission Yorkshire Forest District has received a £76,100 grant to replace the dilapidated wildlife hide in Cropton Forest to give a wider range of people the opportunity to view, and discover more, about forest species. The new hide will be accessible to wheelchairs, it will be insulated to prevent noise from enthusiastic children from disturbing nearby birds and animals, and glazed to reduce disturbance from lights, movement and camera flash. A learning pack will be produced encouraging families and schools to visit the Forest and the new hide. Community groups will also be invited to visit and take part in a photographic competition.

Alan Eves, Forestry Commission, said: “We are delighted that funding for this project has been approved. This new purpose built facility will enable more people to get up really close to wildlife in the forest and will support Jane Payne and the Friends of Dalby Forest with their plans to host wildlife watching events with a range of community groups”.

2016 promises to be a bumper year for natural heritage in Yorkshire, as this news follows hard on the heels of the launch of the HLF’s ‘Yorkshire’s Back Garden’ campaign which is promoting funding for natural heritage projects throughout the region over the next year and a half. The campaign is particularly targeting local groups to help raise awareness of wildlife and nature to be found close to home – in back gardens and local neighbourhoods in both urban and rural locations. 

Further information

Heritage Lottery Fund: Felix Gott, Communications Manager, 020 7591 6138

Forestry Commission: Petra Young, Funding and Development Manager, 0300 067 4305

A Quiet Word: Alison Andrews, 07738519518

Perennial: Jamie Hill, 01372 384041

Froglife Trust: Kathy Wormald, Chief Executive, 01733 602102