Environmental

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust

The Trust manages 88 nature reserves throughout the three counties, 75 of which are open to the public.

One of BBOWT's aims is to ensure that no group of people should be prevented from enjoying access to nature as a result of age, disability, location or background. It is therefore important to the Trust that all new developments, including the new visitor centre at College Lake, make provision for groups that require extra facilities in order to engage with the natural world.

Grant received: £1,000 from the Quality Heating Named Fund

What for: To help improve visitor and education facilities at the College Lake nature reserve, near Marsworth. College Lake has excellent facilities for people with disabilities and has four disabled bird hides and wheelchair and car accessible trails; so due to the specialized facilities every one can enjoy the wildlife in this nature reserve.

The Donor: Quality Heating Services Limited, based in High Wycombe, has set up a Named Fund with Buckinghamshire Community Foundation to support voluntary and community groups addressing conservation issues and the disabled in the Wycombe and Aylesbury Vale District Council areas. When BCF received a grant application from BBOWT towards disabled toilets at College Lake, it was an obvious choice for sponsorship from the Quality Heating Named Fund.

Iver Nature Study Centre

The Iver Nature Study Centre is a two acre wildlife garden in Iver Heath, opened in 1990, where individuals and community groups, irrespective of age, ability or background, can come and take part in activities that have an educational, environmental and/or therapeutic theme to them.

Grant received: £1,000 from the Harwood Hutton Named Fund

What for: A new project "Get A Grip" to help dysfunctional children between the ages of 12 and 16 and young adults up to 21 years of age. The young people take part in activities and projects relating to horticulture and their environment. They will gain experience; communicating with all ages, learn new skills and be encouraged to take decisions, take responsibility for their actions, raise awareness of their surroundings and increase self-esteem.

The Donor: Harwood Hutton, an accountancy firm based in Beaconsfield, has a Named Fund with Buckinghamshire Community Foundation to support groups concerned with employment, education and training in South Buckinghamshire. Their Named Fund has paid for a grant of £1,000 for this project at Iver Nature Study Centre.