News Lottery boost for Friends of Oakhill project
A local environmental group has been awarded £7,500 by the Big Lottery Fund to extend its events programme.
Friends of Oakhill, the group supporting the country park at New Potter Grange, have been given the money as part of the BBC Breathing Places initiative featured on Springwatch and Autumnwatch.
The aim of Breathing Places is to encourage more people to get out and about in the countryside through volunteering and countryside access events and to protect and enhance wildlife areas.
The group will use the money to develop their events programme. Over the last year they have run 21 events on the Oakhill site, including bat and moth nights, hedge-planting, a butterfly watch and a fungi foray.
These have been run entirely on a voluntary basis with the support of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Goole Development Trust. Over 200 people have been involved.
Now they have some funding, Friends of Oakhill aim to expand their programme to include a winter indoor programme, as well as more volunteering events and discovery walks using wildlife experts to reveal the special wildlife of the area.
The aim is to increase the number of people enjoying the Oakhill site.
Chairman of Friends of Oakhill, Kester Dean, said: "Oakhill is one of the largest areas undeveloped by agriculture or industry in the East Riding. It contains a huge diversity of wildlife and we have already recorded approaching 600 species.
"Alongside our organised events programme we will be continuing to push for the creation of a country park scheme to provide facilities for all parts of the community, including school groups, families and disabled people."
Published on 30th November 2006 in News.
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