PROTECTING OUR COMMON HERITAGE

NUNWELL ESTATE
Brading Town Council is working in partnership with local landowner Fanny Oglander to conserve the historic landscape of Nunwell for the enjoyment of future generations.

Two publicly accessible ponds in this beautiful area were choked with silt and plant growth and were being shaded by encroaching shrubs. A Rural Action Grant was successfully applied for to help with the cost of restoration.

The money is being put to good use, paying for essential contractor work to clear out the bulk of the silt. The Town Council are also receiving specialist advice on how to restore the ponds and on how to create a potential red squirrel corridor between Bloodstone Copse and the Nunwell Estate. They are already acting upon this advice; cutting back shrubs around the pond and ordering plants ready for the new planting season which will landscape the ponds and create the hedgerow
corridor.

Paul Sivell, advisor to the Town Council on the restoration work says:
"It is good to be involved in a scheme which involves so much cooperation between the Town Council and local landowners. Such work recognises that the landscape surrounding towns is a vital part of our experience of that place, which we should all work hard to enhance."

WROXALL IN ACTION - Local action benefits community. A generous Rural Action grant of £1,470 is helping residents of Wroxall to improve their local area.

Wroxall In Action works alongside the Parish Council to press for improved facilities in the village. It was formed in 1995 following a public meeting called because the local play area had been condemned as unsafe.

The Group decided to look at ways of gaining new play facilities and at the same time decided to plant a wildlife conservation area so that it was an attractive environment for both children and animals. They therefore applied for Rural Action funds to help them create this area and have now drawn up planting plans with advice from the AONB Project.

The planting will take place over the next couple of months with particular emphasis on local people joining in so that they gain a sense of pride and ownership in the area. Also taking place in the next few months will be the erection of the play area fence and the installation of the play equipment, made possible by grants from the Rural Community Council and South Wight Housing Association.

The group has gathered momentum and is now looking to work with the Parish Council to make several other improvements; new litter bins, tackling dog fouling, entering the Island in Bloom competition and carrying out a Village Appraisal.

Carmelle Jones, Chairman of Wroxall in Action says:
"The Rural Action money enabled the group to make positive environmental changes really quickly and helped us all to realise that we can achieve a lot through local action.'

STOP PRESS - WE NEED YOU!
There is still a significant allocation of Rural Action Project Grants available to assist community based groups establish environmental beneficial schemes on the Island.

If you represent a group which would like to do something positive to enhance or improve the environment in your area and are not quite sure how to go about it, then ring either the Rachel
Nightingale (AONB Project) on 01983 822118 or Roland Oliver at the Rural Community Council on 01983 524058.

Groups we would very much like to hear from are those working with youth and community and special needs.

Pick up the phone now and start the ball rolling!

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