North Hampshire Children & Wildlife Appeal
Nurturing the wildlife guardians of the future - how you can help
Since the Trust was founded almost 50 years ago, one of our greatest ambitions has been to inspire people - especially young people - about the natural world. Over the years we have established a range of innovative education programmes and services, including our renowned education centres at Testwood Lakes, Blashford Lakes and Swanwick Lakes. This year over 8,000 local school children will benefit from the Trust's education service, enjoying encounters with wildlife in the outdoors and learning about the complexity and fragility of the natural world around them.
However, at present, our education service is only available in south Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight. We have long aspired to offer similar opportunities to children across the north of Hampshire. Now, as our fiftieth anniversary approaches, we are ready to get an exciting education project in North Hampshire off the ground.
As the north of Hampshire is the least populated part of the county, with many schools are in rural areas, we are aiming to provide a flexible, mobile education service, which will visit schools as well as leading activities for school groups at nature reserves and on farms right across the region. We aim to inspire children and help them understand the importance of wildlife, habitats and sustainable farming.
Thanks to support from Hampshire County Council, the Four Lanes Trust, a legacy to the Trust and an in-memoriam donation we have already raised the funds we need to take on a new Education Officer. We now need to raise a final £15,000 to provide transport and essential equipment and materials for school groups to use, from bat detectors to wildlife identification guides.
We are asking all our supporters to help us to reach our target and to help the Trust to bring wildlife and environmental education to an extra 3,000 children in Hampshire.
Please help us to inspire coming generations of wildlife guardians by making a donation:
- £10 could provide wildlife identification guides for three children.
- £30 could provide a ‘sweep net' to help children study and identify insect life in meadows.
- £50 will pay daily travel costs to schools, farms and nature reserves.
- £100 could provide a bat detector.
You can send a cheque or make a credit card payment by telephone (01489 447700) or donate online. You can also use your mobile phone to make a donation. Just text HWT to 82540 to give £5.00.
