Witney News - Support for Countryside Project

Support for Countryside Project

£26,750 has been allocated by West Oxfordshire District Council to the Wychwood Project.

This unique countryside project, which carries out important local conservation work, has received regular financial support from the District Council since its inception in 1997.

West Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council are the Wychwood Project's principal funders with increasing support from the voluntary fundraising activities of the 'Friends of the Wychwood'.

"Excellent work is being carried out by the Wychwood Project and it is bringing enormous environmental benefits for the District", said Cllr Verena Hunt, Cabinet Member for Planning. "Last year I was pleased to nominate the Project for the Queens Award for Voluntary Service and was delighted when this was announced. The Award recognises the achievements made by a group of dedicated volunteers working on a wide range of landscape and habitat management projects such as planting trees and restoring hedgerows."

Cllr Verena Hunt also commented on initiatives by the Wychwood Project such as the Parish Conservation Challenge in which funding has been raised to help engage local people with community projects such as repairing a dry stone wall in a village centre; hedgelaying along a popular footpath and researching the history of a local ironworks.

A further new initiative of the Project is its Ancient Habitats Programme, which has raised external funds to identify and work towards improving the condition of some of the areas most important landscape features and wildlife habitats.

Alan Spicer, Wychwood Project Chairman said, "We very much welcome the continuing support from the District Council which is enabling The Project to draw in more volunteers to enhance ancient landscape features and improve local biodiversity."

An important fundraising event for the Wychwood Project is the annual Forest Fair. This year it is being held at Capps Lodge, near Burford on Sunday 2nd September.