Dorset County Council has re-opened its Community Innovation fund

Dorset County Council has re-opened its Community Innovation fund to back inventive community projects that can help improve local people’s lives.

There is a total of £75,000 available to Dorset-based community organisations that can show how their project would help achieve the outcomes for local people set out in the county council’s corporate plan.

These are grouped into four key outcomes: making sure people in Dorset are safe, healthy, independent and have a prosperous economy.

The fund aims to support community groups to deliver services that meet local people’s needs.  Successful projects will be those that target people with the greatest needs and reduce demand for the council’s services by giving people the support they need early on.
Groups are invited to bid for grants of up to £8,000. There is also a ‘Micro’ grants fund for smaller amounts of up to £2,000 as the council wants the fund to be able to reach all parts of Dorset’s communities.

Cllr Rebecca Knox, Dorset County Council leader, said
“We want to support community projects that can demonstrate how they support the council’s top priorities for local people.

“For example, as part of our aim to ensure people in Dorset are healthy we want to make sure people adopt healthy lifestyles and lead active lives.

“The important element is that the projects must be resident-driven with evidence of the benefits for people and the contribution they will make to helping improve the lives of people in Dorset.”

Apply for a grant through the Community Innovation Fund, view the application guidance and support materials.
This round of the grant will close on Friday 21 September.
http://d4u.org.uk/XCRNH

Entertainment in Village Halls

Cuts in red tape will make it easier for village halls to be the social heart of their communities

A raft of cuts in red tape will make it easier for village halls to be the social heart of their communities, says leading rural network ACRE.

Major changes to Government regulations on entertainment licensing, which come fully into force from April 6, have reduced the burden on community buildings.

It says village halls now face less paperwork when it comes to putting on the events, plays, performances and social evenings which pull communities together.

ACRE, the national voice for England’s rural community councils, runs an information and advice service for the country’s 10,000 village halls through its network of dedicated advisers. Its research shows that alongside traditional activities such as youth clubs, WI, gardening clubs and whist drives, village halls are hosting newer crazes such as Pilates and Zumba and have seen a rise in exercise and keep fit classes.

The charity has produced a new guide ‘Entertainment in Village Halls’ which steers management committees through the rules and regulations on licensing, music copyright, cinema, events and more. It is available through your local Village Hall Advisor http://www.acre.org.uk/in-your-area/village-hall-advisers nationwide.

Woodcutts Traditional Fingerpost

A tale of a great community effort that resulted in something really rewarding.

By Pearl James, Dean, Woodcutts.

 As usual it was local farmer & parish councillor Simon Meaden that encouraged me to run this project – he has definitely got a habit of “volunteering” me for things!

 The story starts with the council announcing that they would no longer be able to renovate these charming old Dorset Signposts. Simon adopted and renovated the sign post at Minchington and my husband Alec and I just happened along our lane as he was taking some photos with the press. “Why don’t you do the one at Woodcutts” he cried – and the project was born!

Our post (as we now call it) was looking very sad and forlorn. It definitely needed some TLC. There is a process to go through with the Dorset AONB to “adopt” a post, which I duly completed. Once they had confirmed it was officially our post it was time for the hard work to start. Alec agreed to do the work and Carol and David Cross agreed to join us.

Carol designed a great mail shot and we delivered these to all the houses in Dean and Woodcutts. People were extremely generous and soon very nice envelopes came popping through my door! In total we raised £354.00 but needed more. The roundel alone came to £285.00 and then there was paint, many letters at £2.50 each, screws, bolts, wood for the fingers, etc. Luckily Linda Nunn at the Cranborne Chase AONB came to the rescue and we applied for a grant to complete the work. This was generously given and we pressed on, identifying suppliers, ordering letters and getting those shot blasted & painted; ordering the roundel, screws, bolts, the list seemed endless, but it was great fun and very rewarding at every stage!

Some lovely local people also did lots of the work and donated materials. Rupert and Jeannie Brown donated the wood and Rupert made a lovely job of preparing it, to match the old fingers perfectly. David Cross painted them beautifully. Adrian Harris from Woodcutts restored the old post leg that was in the ground and certainly wasn’t going to be removed easily, so he did it in situ and made a great job of it. Alec and I spent many an hour becoming the Two Ronnies – “How many O’s have we got?” and eventually we had the right letters and Alec sprayed them and fixed them to the wooden arms with great patience.

The big day came and we went and bolted the new arms on. By chance the man who had led me down this path stopped by, Simon of course! It was very rewarding indeed to be there and see how magnificent the post looked once completed.

We had an absolutely great time doing this project, and the bonus is that every time one drives by there is a great sense of pride. So I would like to say thank you to everyone who worked with us and donated so generously for “our post”. You are all wonderful neighbours and it was our privilege to work with you all. Thank you indeed. If anyone wants any help or advice in how to renovate their own community post then please feel free to call me on 01725 552834.

Pearl James, Dean, Woodcutts.

Prizes Available for taking part in Local Business Survey - Your thoughts please

 

Prizes include: Locally grown flowers from Common Farm Flowers in Charlton Musgrove (to the value of £55)
£50 Dining Voucher at The Ship at West Stour www.shipinn-dorset.com
Sausages and Bacon from the Ginger Piggery www.thegingerpiggery.co.uk
Selection of ales from Sixpenny Brewery www.sixpennybrewery.co.uk
Coffee & Cake at Divine Wines in Wincanton

The Heart of Wessex Local Action Group is working with local people and businesses to develop opportunities for improving the rural economy and quality of life for people living and working in the area through a targeted grants programme. The next round of funds (2015 – 2020) is focused on economic growth and jobs. 

LEADER is a community-led European funding programme that supports rural community development. The planning, decision making and implementation is done at a local level, carried out by a Local Action Group (LAG). The LAG is managed locally and made up of private, public and community sector volunteers with a wide range of experience and knowledge of local rural issues. 

We are currently engaging local communities and businesses to ascertain local issues and priorities. These will then be used to help write the bid (known as a Local Development Strategy) to Defra in September 2014 to bring investment into the local area. Grants are likely to be available from early 2015. 

We want to hear your ideas and we particularly welcome new innovations and collaborative projects. Give us a call if you have a business development or community project idea and think LEADER funding could help. We would particularly like to hear from people involved in: 

* Farming * Operating small businesses located in a rural area * Producing or selling locally produced food * Tourism attractions or providing holiday accommodation * Providing community services or facilities in a rural setting * Promoting low-carbon, energy efficiency or climate resilience * Restoring, preserving and enhancing eco systems dependent upon agriculture and forestry 

If you are a business, or are thinking of starting a business please take the time to complete this short survey, there are lots of prizes on offer.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HeartOfWessexRuralBusinessSurvey 

How to Legally Operate and Drive a Minibus Seminar

Finally a cure for the minibus law headache. Understanding how to operate and drive a minibus is going to become a lot more easier.

The Minibus Website, a source of minibus information, is going to host a “How to legally operate and drive a minibus” seminar - aimed at simplifying the complicated laws associated with operating and driving a minibus. Steven Caulston who created the minibus website and the seminar explains, “Minibus laws and regulations can apply to individual organisations in different ways – and that's why there's so much confusion.

The seminar will explain why and offer a simple solution to help organisations follow the right set of regulations that apply.” The seminar will demonstrate how a simple 'colour coded' solution eliminates the confusion and guesswork by separating and identifying the exact set of regulations individu! al organisations need to follow in order to stay within the law.

Other topics covered within the seminar also include: Hire and reward and Not for profit, Permits and operator licensing, who can legally drive a minibus and how to keep up to date with any relevant future changes. A place on the seminar is FREE to anyone who operates or manages a minibus within; schools, voluntary organisations, hotels, care homes, child care and any other new or existing group or business.

The event will take place in Reading, Berkshire on the 30th July 2014. For more information or to book a place on this seminar visit www.minibuswebsite.com/htm/e/events.html

Cranborne Chase AONB Annual Forum - Your chance to be involved

Online Ticketing for Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Annual Forum 2014 powered by Eventbrite

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

 

It is with great pleasure that I invite you to attend the 2014 Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’s Annual Forum.

 

Coffee/tea will be available from 10.00am and the day will finish promptly at 4.30pm.

 

In the morning your AONB team will give a brief report of Partnership achievements during 2013-2014 followed by a brief outline of work to be undertaken during 2014-2015, that helps achieve the aims of the new 2014–2019 Management Plan.

 

One of those aims is to achieve ‘Dark Night Sky status’ for the AONB over the next two to three years. Well-known Dorset astronomer Bob Mizon, UK Co-ordinator, British Astronomical Association Campaign for Dark Skies will be on hand to explain what this all means and how everyone within the AONB can help.

 

After lunch there will be two sessions for delegates to attend:
 

• We have the Mizar Travelling Planetarium with Bob Mizon M.B.E, F.R.A.S. who is one of the most experienced travelling planetarium operators in the UK http://www.mizar-astro.freeserve.co.uk/astro/
• There are various ongoing projects within the AONB to commemorative World War I. Discover what was involved in drawing these projects together, and see the exhibition of maps and photographs.
• http://www.wylyevalley1914.org.uk/               
• http://www.fovantbadges.com/                 
• http://www.sutton-down-badges.com/      

 

Spaces are limited so please book by Monday 23rd June or, alternatively, you can reply by email to shirleymerrick@cranbornechase.org.uk  As lunch is provided please email Shirley if you have any dietary requirements.         

 

If you cannot attend in person, please do consider sending a deputy. Once again, we look forward to meeting you at the New Remembrance Hall, Charlton on 1st July.

 

Yours sincerely,

Linda Nunn 

Director Cranborne Chase AONB

 

War Memorials Grant Scheme (England)

English Heritage and the Wolfson Foundation, in association with Friends of War Memorials, are providing grants for the repair and conservation of free-standing war memorials in England. These grants are intended to help those who are responsible for the upkeep of war memorials. The grants are designed to support the care and preservation of war memorials to a high standard, and to prevent the decay of this important part of our built heritage. Grants will normally be for up to a maximum of 75% of eligible costs, with a maximum grant of £30,000. The next closing date for applications is the 30th June 2014. Read more at: http://www.warmemorials.org/grantsforwarmemorials/

Helping others to make a positive change in their community - Resource

Big Lunch Extras is a three-year programme to help individuals across the UK create positive change within their communities. Funded through the Big Lottery it is all about bringing communities together, reducing loneliness and isolation and helping to make a difference locally which is at the heart of the Big Lottery Fund’s mission.

The Fund is therefore delighted to invest Lottery funding into Big Lunch Extras, which  builds on the success of The Big Lunch, to support individuals who want  to make a positive change in their communities. Big Lunch Extras will inspire and support people to tackle issues that are important to them. This will strengthen neighbourhood networks, create a greater sense of community cohesion improve the lives of communities across the UK.

The website is a very useful resource with lots of case studies demonstrating other projects. So if you're looking for ideas or advice on what to do next in your community, you’ll like our resources. We’ve created a growing collection, which includes:

• activities and project to try yourselves, with clear instructions
• inspirational stories from neighbourhoods around the UK
• simple guides that help you get to grips with big ideas

There is an online community forum which is also a brilliant place to start discussions and gain important insights from others who may be experiencing the same challenges.
Worth a look.  http://www.biglunchextras.com/content/join

 

Celebrate the summer with Artsreach!

Artsreach continues to bring professional performances to rural venues right across Dorset. This summer, there’s a whole variety of things on offer; everything from classical quintets to big, bouncy balls; award-winning Balkan bands to contemporary Shakespeare. There’s something for everyone in the new Artsreach summer programme:

Music

This summer Artsreach presents a range of high calibre musical performers. Belshazzar’s Feast, featuring the much-loved Paul Sartin and Paul Hutchinson are renowned on the English folk scene for their unusual mix of humour, folk, classical, jazz, pop and music hall. Celebrating their 20th anniversary, expect an unforgettable live experience when they arrive in Dorset! Red Hippo will be parading an array of instruments including sousaphone, Irish whistles, saxophones and strings, as they explore a musical world influenced by traditional English, Irish and Scandinavian folk melodies and tunes. Tim Laycock and Phil Humphries will continue ‘Rooting around the Ridgeway’ following the success of last autumns West Gallery workshops, this time exploring the folk songs collected in Dorset by the Hammond Brothers in workshops leading to a public performance. Following the release of a highly acclaimed new album, She’koyokh are back with more soulful Gypsy melodies, toe-tapping Yiddish music, exhilarating Balkan dances, Turkish ballads, and virtuosic solos. The visible energy and passion poured into their performances won them a host of new followers at The Exchange last summer, and their return is much anticipated. Each representing one of the string sections of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, five gifted musicians come together as the BSO Resonate Strings. Their engaging ‘Summer Serenade’ concert will reflect the wonderful diversity of the classical string repertoire and will feature music from across the centuries from composers such as Bach, Pachebel and Mozart to Jenkins, Joplin and Warlock.

Theatre

A whole host of Artsreach favourites will be treading the boards with new productions over the coming months. For anyone who's ever craved the last word, Theatre Alibi presents a very human comedy about arguing. From farcical fisticuffs at a wedding disco to squabbling for control of the TV remote, ‘Hammer & Tongs’ is physical, funny, absurd, musical, moving, and absolutely bloody-minded. The company brings its national tour to a close with one performance in Dorset on the Artsreach circuit. Expect the unexpected in ‘The Ballad of Martha Brown’, Angel Exit's latest original drama based on the life and times of the last woman publicly hanged in Dorset. Presented in the company's rich visual style, blending storytelling and striking physicality, this show is spliced through with wicked humour, an original score and macabre songs. The much anticipated West Country tour this year by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School sees the stars of the future taking on Georges Feydeau’s high spirited romp ‘Sauce For The Goose’. Stuffed with preening characters knitting their legs in sexual frustration, its heady mix of passions, pace and pleasure are the perfect mix for a good night out. Finally, Artsreach and Miracle Theatre invite you to take a trip into uncharted waters, and find yourself wrecked on a treacherous shore. Celebrating their 35th anniversary, they apply their offbeat and humorous style to Shakespeare’s classic ‘The Tempest’ to create a fresh and musical adaptation. This special open-air tour is the culmination of the Artsreach summer season, so wrap up warm, grab a blanket, pack a picnic and be entertained by this outstanding Cornish company.

FREE EVENTS!Families in Dorset are in for a treat in May as ‘The Big Bounce’ arrives at Kingston Maurward. In a fun and visually stunning event, a humorous story of learning how to play is told with acrobatics, dozens of large coloured balls and one GIANT ball. This fabulously playful, free outdoor performance is suitable for children aged 5 years and under. Bring a picnic rug and come ready to play; boing boing boing!

PUBS PROJECT

This summer, Artsreach are teaming up once more with the hilarious Living Spit (‘The Six Wives of Henry V111) to bring their latest idea to the County – a show for pubs. In an effort to reach new audiences and support rural pubs, ‘One Man & His Cow’ is specifically designed to be performed in a bar, and will be free for all to enjoy. Overflowing with a multitude of catchy songs, agricultural clichés and farmyard frolics, this show is coming to a pub near you soon...

Full details including dates, venues and individual box office numbers can be found at www.artsreach.co.uk, where you can also sign up to the Artsreach mailing list. Outlets where you can pick up a copy of the programme include libraries, arts centres and tourist information centres across Dorset. You can also find Artsreach on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with the latest news and join in the rural touring conversation.

Suppliers Fayre for Community Building Leaders

Suppliers Fayre: Community Buildings, Village Halls and Schools – 11 April Community First, Wiltshire, is hosting an event for suppliers and service providers to community buildings and their users. 

Free entry – Friday 11 April 2-6pm at Michael Herbert Hall, South Street, Wilton SP2 0JS. If you are responsible for ordering supplies or services for your building, this is an opportunity to meet and talk to a range of suppliers and providers including, audio visual equipment, door entry systems, green energy, sound and lighting equipment and eco-friendly wildflower seeds.

Contact csouthall@communityfirst.org.uk or tel: 01380 732818

Discover Chalke Valley Business Website - Your chance to be involved

Following the success of the Sustainable Rural Tourism project for the www.discovernadder.org.uk website we have secured further funding to develop a sister site for the Chalke Valley which extends from Nunton to Berwick St John.

A new website is planned to promote the area as an outstanding destination for people to visit benefiting businesses like pubs, shops and accommodation providers, and provide ready made experiences for visitors who are interested in the outdoors and who wish to discover more about the history and wildlife of the area. Online you will find an interactive map of businesses in the area and be able to download informative walking and cycle routes for visitors to enjoy. Information packs containing all of this may also be made available.

If you run a pub, restaurant, B&B or local shop to name a few do come along to learn more about how your business can be involved so that together we can demonstrate to visitors how passionate we are about promoting this wonderful area and supporting each other in their business endeavors.  

Each business will receive a free website listing and an opportunity to network with like minded local organisations together with useful marketing tools to market your business.

To apply you are invited to apply online providing a description of your business together with a promotional image. Please forward to info@cranbornechase.org.uk 

We are also seeking volunteers to help design a number of walks and cycle routes so if this interests you do get in touch.

PENTRIDGE UNVEILS ITS HIDDEN PAST

ARCHAEOLOGIST REVEALS ALL

Pentridge Village Hall: Weds 7th May at 7pm
As you make your way along the A354 from Woodyates, past Pentridge towards Sixpenny Handley, you may notice some very unusual features.  Were you to examine a local Ordnance Survey map however, you would notice some even stranger names. So what does this all mean and who or what has transformed our landscape in this extraordinary way? 

To answer these questions and more, Steve Wallis, Senior Archaeologist at Dorset County Council, also author and keen photographer, will be coming to Pentridge to give an illustrated talk in which he will endeavour to guide us through the history of this amazing landscape.  He has also agreed to share some fascinating discoveries made during  excavations on the site of the Weymouth Relief Road.

It promises to be a most enjoyable evening. Entrance will be £10 to include a glass of wine and light refreshments. Booking essential, see details below.

A GUIDED WALK IN AND AROUND PENTRIDGE

Meet at Pentridge Village Hall: Saturday May 24th at 11am
To complement his talk, Steve Wallis has kindly agreed to offer a guided walk.  On this occasion Steve will guide us through some of the many historic and natural features of the landscape, highlighting archaeological discoveries in and around Pentridge. This will involve some steep climbs, but I can assure you it will be worth the effort. Sensible shoes are recommended.

The price will be £10 to include a picnic lunch consisting of an award-winning handmade Cornish pasty, (a vegetarian option available on request), washed down with refreshing Somerset cider. The walk will be limited to 30 people.

We are most grateful to Steve for giving up his valuable time to be with us on these two days and hopefully, when we next venture out into our stunning countryside, it will be with a greater knowledge and understanding.  As Einstein himself said, on observing the countryside, “The joy of looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift”.

For booking or more information, email pentridgevillage@gmail.com or contact Jill on : 01725 552050

Grants to make your community building lean and green

Faye Perkins posted: "Grants to make your community building lean and green Does your community centre cost a fortune to run? Are you concerned about your village hall’s carbon footprint? Local groups in the Midlands, the South West and South Wales can now apply for grants"

Does your community centre cost a fortune to run? Are you concerned about your village hall’s carbon footprint? Local groups in the Midlands, the South West and South Wales can now apply for grants of up to £1,000 to help reduce energy use in their community buildings. The WPD Community Chest is a grant scheme funded by Western Power Distribution (WPD) and administered by CSE.

A total of £50,000 is up for grabs. The aim is to help community groups carry out simple but effective energy efficiency improvements in village halls and community buildings, after carrying out their own energy audits. The maximum award per group will be £1,000, but you can apply for less than this. Perhaps your community building needs insulation, a new heating system, lighting sensors, double glazing or more efficient taps? 

We'll provide groups with an energy survey template so that they can walk around their building and assess what most needs doing. Then they just need to get some quotes for having those improvements done, and send back a short application form. Don’t miss out, go to: http://www.cse.org.uk/news/view/1814

Join us for launch of Chalke Valley Business Initiative 27/02/14

Sell Tickets Online through Eventbrite

FUNDING: Starter for 10 Programme for Creatives

Creative England is pleased to announce that due to popular demand this year’s Starter for 10 programme is no longer solely restricted to businesses under two years old. If you’re a creative business based in the South West and you have an idea for an innovative new product or service, you have until 23 February to submit an application form.

If your application is shortlisted, you will be given the opportunity to pitch your idea to a prestigious panel of judges who will select the 10 best ideas to receive a £10,000 grant and a comprehensive package of business support.

To qualify, businesses must be an SME operating within the sectors of digital, web and interactive, mobile and app, social media, TV or marketing.

If this isn’t you but you know a business that may be interested please do forward this on to them. Hurry, the deadline is fast approaching!

For more information and details of how to apply please visit www.starterfor10.biz

Starter for 10 is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and managed by Creative England.

The Tree Council’s Community Trees Fund 2014 now open

The  Community Trees Fund is part of the Tree Futures grant programme.

This grant fund is open to Community Groups, both formal and ad hoc, within the United Kingdom.

You must ensure that children aged up to sixteen are included in the planting project.

If you would like to plant any fruit trees, please look at the information about the  Orchard Windfalls Fund.

Deadline is March 31^st. National Tree Week is Nov 29^th.

Help secure funding for rural communities

We need your help!

The recent 5 year RDPE  (Rural Development Programme for England) of which the Sowing SEEDS Local Action Group (LAG) funding was part, has now ended. A number of projects in the AONB benefited from this funding including Hindon Village Shop, Semley Shop, Chalke Valley Community Hub, Mere and Tisbury Chambers of Trade, Stourhead Kindling,  Kingston Lacey Glasshouse project  and the AONB Sustainable Tourism Project - Discover Nadder.

Every LAG in the UK is now in a period of transition (2014) where we have the opportunity to develop a bid for future funding from the next RDPE which is expected to start in January 2015. There is no guarantee of further funding! We need your help to secure funding to support new projects from 2015 to 2020.

The photo below shows when and where forthcoming meetings will be held.  We really do need to show that many, many people are involved in Local Action and most importantly that we want it to continue into the next programme period. This is your chance to say what the priorities are for your area and to put forward project suggestions.

Please forward to your friends, colleagues and contacts and encourage them to come along and support the LAG.

We very much appreciate your support in helping us to secure these vital funds and we look forward to seeing you at one of the upcoming meetings

Discover Nadder Website Launched

www.discovernadder.org.uk

Discover Nadder, a new website promoting tourism and businesses in the Nadder Valley, is now live; ideal if you are running a tourism related business across the Cranborne Chase AONB.

The website was put together by Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, working in partnership with partners and local businesses, as part of a Sustainable Rural Tourism Pilot Project to help improve the visitor economy of the area. 



We hope the site will promote the Cranborne Chase AONB as an outstanding destination for people to visit benefiting businesses like pubs, shops and accommodation providers, and provide ready made experiences for visitors who are interested in the outdoors and wish to discover more about the history and wildlife of the area.

The Nadder Valley stretches from Wilton to Shaftesbury and includes part of Wiltshire and Dorset. It is a beautiful and largely undiscovered area with over 30 picturesque villages dotted along the River Nadder. Highlights include:

• Tisbury, the largest of the Nadder Valley villages; at its heart is a friendly and thriving High Street as well as a convenient railway station for day-trippers wishing to come from Salisbury.
• Postcard pretty historic villages like East Knoyle, birthplace of architect Sir Christopher Wren whose masterpiece was St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
• The wild open expanses and tranquillity of the chalk downs.
• Great historic estates of Dinton Park, Fonthill and Wardour.
• Ancient churches, Iron Age Hill Forts and ancient burial grounds.
• Major attractions like Old Wardour Castle near Tisbury, one of the Nadder Valley’s best kept secrets.

The AONB and South West Wiltshire Area Board have recently committed funding to create a similar website for the Chalke Valley. If you would like to be involved in this process or have any comments/suggestions on ‘Discover Nadder’ then please contact Steve Harris, Community Area Manager for South West Wiltshire Area Board. There will be an evening on Thursday 27th February when you can drop in to learn more about this exciting venture at the Crown Alvesdiston from 4 - 7pm. 

Would you like to help out with Wiltshire rivers?

Around England, rivers are under attack from invasive plants which are not native to these islands. Locally, rivers such as the Wylye, Nadder, Ebble and Avon suffer due to species such as Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed.

The impact on our native plants and animals, such as water vole, can be devastating.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Dorset and Hampshire Wildlife Trusts, tackle the fight against invasive species with the Source to Sea project.  Funded by the Environment Agency, the team works with volunteers along the river Avon and its tributaries to eradicate these destructive species so that the wildlife that lives along our waterways can thrive.

This spring, the team will be coming to your area. Headed by project manager, Sam Stork, the team will work with local landowners, farmers, angling clubs and other interested parties to identify affected areas and, with the help of an army of volunteers, they will help to ensure that your part of the river is protected.

And that’s where you come in - Source to Sea needs your help:

Can you help identify areas where invasive species are threatening local wildlife? To find out what to look for visit www.wiltshirewildlife.org and click on What We Do – Protecting Wiltshire’s Rivers. Report your sightings using the feedback form.

Can you volunteer your time to help clean up the river?  Tackling invasive species along our rivers is a massive task and we need your help! We provide everything you need to participate in a volunteer day on the river.

Find out more by attending our Annual Event on the 13^th February in Salisbury Guildhall. Contact us by email at sourcetosea@wiltshirewildlife.org or telephone on 01380 736066 or contact the team on Twitter @wiltsrivers. 

Fovant Badges Society – World War One Centenary Project



Fovant Badges Wiltshire

 

The Fovant Badges Society is the charity responsible for the maintenance of the badges cut into the hillside overlooking Fovant. The first badge was constructed in 1916 by soldiers stationed at Fovant in World War One. They are Scheduled Monuments and War Memorials. Five of the surviving badges date from World War One, two from just after World War Two and the last was constructed in 1970. Annual maintenance costs for the Society amount to around £30,000.

The World War One Centenary

The Centenary has created huge public and media interest in World War One. The Trustees of The Society cannot afford to miss this absolutely unique opportunity to raise awareness of the badges.

The objectives of the Fovant Badges Society can be summarised as:

• To ensure that the Fovant Badges can be enjoyed by future generations and
• To educate members of the public about the Fovant Badges

The Society’s plans for the World War One are a two stage Education Project that is designed to safeguard the future of the badges by generating new interest in them amongst a wider, and younger, audience.

 Education Project – Part 1

We are pleased to announce that the Society has received a grant of £8,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund’s First World War: then and now programme for the first part of our education programme. The grant will help the Society to widen the appeal of the badges by re-imagining them as a window onto Britain’s history in the C20th. The project will deliver:

1. Interactive material (an education pack) describing the history of Fovant First World War Army Camp[1] and its impact on the Wiltshire village of Fovant and the subsequent history of the badges. The intention is that it will be made available to schools to better inform the Centenary Programme. This part of the project will be completed by September 2014.
2. Working with the University of Southampton, a one day symposium on the subject of War, Landscape and Memory in the Twentieth Century will take place on 7 May 2014 at the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum. The target audience is the general public, academics and 6th form students.
3. In order for the Education Project to have a lasting impact the Society’s website will be updated and expanded so that the results of the project can be made available to all. Completion will be before December 2014. The public will be encouraged to add family recollections of WW1 to the website.
4. In the autumn/winter of 2014/15, a series of public feedback sessions about the project discoveries will be arranged for local communities.

Education Project - Part 2

The second part of the Education Project builds on the schools project outlined above. Its purpose is to involve local schools and communities in a direct way with the badges. In outline this will involve:

1. The appointment of an Education Officer from 2015 through to 2018. This will be a part time post, probably for 8 days per month.


1. The Education Officer will be available to schools and local groups to provide greater insight into the material included in the education pack and will encourage groups to visit Fovant and the badges.
2. The Education Officer and Trustees of the Society will provide liaison and guidance for those school students and other groups that wish to visit Fovant and the badges.
2. Perhaps the most powerful element of the Education Project is the construction of a new badge in 2016. Whilst this will be project managed by The Fovant Badges Society and its contractor, local schools and the community of Fovant will be encouraged to volunteer and assist in its construction, within H&S guidelines, during which:


1. We will test some of the theories and myths surrounding the construction of the badges in 1916-18 e.g. how was the design transcribed on to the hillside? Could signal flags and other WW1 communications be used to make design adjustments? And crucially could you slide down the hillside on a spade and/or a shovel?
2. During construction we propose filming the process so that we will have a permanent record of the processes involved.
3. The construction of the new badge provides a very real opportunity for re-enacting and recording some of the tales surrounding the badges and the rivalries between the various regiments stationed in the area that were expressed by building ever larger badges. Why, for example, were some of them re-built only months after completion?
4. Most importantly, the involvement of many schools and members of the local community in the construction of the Centenary Badge will have countless benefits to the participants and the Society by re-invigorating interest in the badges

In conclusion, building a new badge will also enable all of us to salute those soldiers back in 1916 that built the first badges in a way that would make perfect sense to them.

The Centenary Badge will firstly be dedicated to all of the World War One badges and their creators. A new engraved stainless steel depiction of the downs and all of the badges will placed in the A30 lay-by for the enlightenment of our visitors.

Secondly, the Centenary Badge will be dedicated to the sacrifices made by all British and Commonwealth Service Men and Women since 1945 and to those currently serving. For this reason, the design of the badge will be based on The Royal British Legion Poppy.

An application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for this part of the project is in progress.

Richard Bullard - PR and Newsletter Editor, Fovant Badges Society

---

[1] The Fovant Badges Society would like to thank members of The Fovant History Interest Group for their continued help in this project.