Members of the Steppers UK group around the Cotswold Way marker stone, before they set off to complete the fourth walk of their AONB Challenge. Cherelle Harding, who organises the walks, is shown fourth from the right.

Steppers UK, a community interest company based in Coventry, continued their AONB Challenge to visit, and walk in, every Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in the UK this month with a trip to the Cotswolds town of Chipping Campden.

The group, originally formed by Cherelle Harding in response to the coronavirus pandemic to encourage more Black, Asian, and ethnic minorities to get outdoors, has already completed hikes in the Malvern Hills, Shropshire Hills, and Cannock Chase as part of their AONB Challenge. The pandemic restrictions paused progress for a while, but the group chose the Cotswolds National Landscape for their fourth walking adventure.

Cherelle explained, “I founded the group in 2020 as a bit of a response to the type of year many of us were having. Everywhere was closed, but the outdoors remained open. I wanted to encourage more people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds to explore the outdoors and build positive relationships with nature.

Through organising walks and cycle rides, we aim to support the mental and physical wellbeing of group members, as well as expanding the life perspectives of those who often spend most of their lives in the city. This is essential, and we aim to do this by providing safe, fun and comfortable experiences for people to explore the wonders of the countryside, forests, rural, and coastal lands of the UK. At the moment, we’re focusing on places nearer to Coventry for the AONB Challenge, and we’re fundraising to raise travel money to help us get to the further away places like the Isle of Wight. It’s a big challenge, but we’re really loving it and I’m optimistic we can complete it!”

The group’s aims fit within an overarching movement to promote diversity in outdoor spaces and improve access for those lacking representation or opportunity, and for those with varying abilities. Research shows that for communities with cultural heritage in Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia, there is often a disconnect between people of these diasporas and nature. Cherelle is among a larger community of people running groups like Steppers UK with the hope of reconnecting people to nature, encouraging them to experience the many benefits it offers, and motivating them to take care of the countryside and to adopt environmentally friendly behaviours.

The plan is working: since Steppers UK started, and in line with government guidance around coronavirus, walk participants have grown from six to around 25 people. Group members have sung their praises, describing the group as an unexpected highlight from the lockdown experience, and as having given them more confidence to explore the outdoors with like-minded people. One participant, Tayyibah Mota, has even been inspired to set up a new Instagram page of her own (@Jungleejoggers) where she shares her outdoor experiences. Since then, she says she has “connected with many other BAME people and hijabi sisters around the UK who have an interest in the outdoors”.

Rebecca Jones, Trails, Access and Volunteers Lead at Cotswolds National Landscape, said, “We’re so pleased that Cherelle and Steppers chose the Cotswolds for their latest adventure. We look forward to welcoming and working with groups like Steppers UK who are working to change issues surrounding representation and access to the outdoors. The Landscapes Review from 2019 clearly expresses that protected landscapes are for everyone, and it’s great to see people truly embracing that idea!”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• For more information about Steppers UK, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/o/steppers-uk-31052447137 or check their social media
  Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Steppers-UK-106523834484922

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Steppers_UK

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/steppers_uk

• To contribute to Steppers UK fundraising to help them complete the AONB Challenge, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/steppers-uk-diversity-outdoors
• Please contact Alana Hopkins at hopkins@cotswolds-nl.org.uk / 01451 862 003 for further information or interview opportunities.

• The Cotswolds National Landscape was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1966 in recognition of its rich, diverse and high quality landscape. www.cotswolds-nl.org.uk
• The Cotswolds National Landscape is looked after by an independent organisation (officially titled Cotswolds Conservation Board) established in 2004 which has a small employee team along with 37 board members – 15 nominated by local authorities, 8 by parish councils and 14 appointed by the Secretary of State.
• The Cotswolds is the third largest protected landscape in England after the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks and represents 10% of the total AONB area in the UK. It covers 2,038 square kilometres (790 square miles), stretching from Warwickshire and Worcestershire in the north, through Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, down to Bath and Wiltshire in the south.
• The organisation’s land management position statements are for use by local authorities, government agencies, land agents, advisers, land managers, farmers and the public. They, along with the planning and transport position statements are available online at www.cotswolds-nl.org.uk
• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), along with National Parks, are considered to be the most special landscapes in the country and belong to an international family of protected areas.  There are 38 AONBs in England and Wales, and a further eight in Northern Ireland.  For further details, visit: www.landscapesforlife.org.uk. For details of the 15 National Parks in the UK visit: www.nationalparks.uk

On Monday 29th March, the lockdown rules in England are changing.

The government has said that from 29 March, when most schools start to break up for the Easter holidays, outdoor gatherings (including in private gardens) of either 6 people (the Rule of 6) or 2 households will be allowed, making it easier for friends and families to meet outside.

We anticipate that this will mean many people will feel the call of the wild and may wish to stretch their legs by getting out into the countryside. All our outdoor spaces have seen increases in the numbers of people enjoying everything the great outdoors has to offer us – especially the physical, mental, and emotional benefits it gives us. Fresh air has never been better for us, but we all need to help take care of the countryside as it takes care of us.

In the Cotswolds, we are expecting visitor numbers might be high, and so we’d like to encourage everyone to be tolerant and kind to one another over the coming months. Please read of the guidelines below before making any trips, so that we can keep respecting the countryside, and the people and wildlife that live here. Here’s a little video about respecting the great outdoors!

1. HANDS – FACE – SPACE
   Even when we’re outside, it will still be important to maintain social distancing, and continue to follow the hands-face-space guidance. Please give way and make space for one another on footpaths, please remember hand sanitiser or wash hands frequently if you’re able to, and remember a face mask for when you meet other people from outside your household.
2. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
   Before you go anywhere, remember to plan ahead: check which car parks are open (and make a plan B for alternative parking arrangements if the place you aimed for is full), check if there are likely to be loos open where you’re going, and make sure you have the right footwear and clothing for the activity you’re planning.
3. PLEASE PARK CONSIDERATELY
   Remember not to park across driveways, gateways, or block any access. Farmers are always working hard and need to move their vehicles – so keeping access clear is a huge help.
   Please try to avoid making any overcrowding worse – if where you’ve arrived is already full, please employ your Plan B and try somewhere else. Remember – emergency vehicles may also need access to car parks. Please avoid parking on verges / on the roadside – this is not only a potential hazard for road users, but also chews up the ground and turns the verge to mud.
4. COUNTRYSIDE CODE
   Please check the Countryside Code to make sure you know the best ways to respect the countryside while you’re away from home. The Countryside Code helps us all look after wildlife, habitat, and livestock. The countryside should be a safe space – please help us with that by taking a look at the Code ahead of your trip.
5. TAKE YOUR LITTER HOME
   Please bring a separate bag so you can collect up your litter and take it home with you. Please don’t leave it behind in the outdoors – it damages nature and is dangerous for wildlife and livestock.
6. STICK TO THE PATH
   The ground is still muddy in places, but please avoid the temptation to go around it! If you’re off the path, you could be damaging crops – and remember, that could be someone’s livelihood. It’s also important to stay clear of ground nesting birds.
7. KEEP DOGS ON LEADS 
   Even if your dog has good recall, you never know what might be over the crest of a hill or round a corner. Even just the shock of a dog giving chase can kill a sheep, so please keep all dogs on their leads.
8. BAG IT & BIN IT
   An oldie, but a goodie! Please don’t leave dog mess – please bag it and put it in a dog waste bin when you find one, or take it home. Grazing sheep can be poisoned by dog poo if they eat it.
9. BBQs ARE BETTER AT HOME
   Even sparks might start wildfires, which will kill ground nesting birds and will damage the environment.
10. TRY TO STAY LOCAL 
    Although the ‘stay at home’ rule will end on 29 March, many restrictions will remain in place. We are still being advised to minimise the number of journeys we make where possible, so please try and stay local.
11. BE SAFE
    Adventure within your limits – be kind to yourself and don’t take any unnecessary risks. Enjoy the fresh air, the views, and the exercise!

Cotswolds Gateways

Nine towns and villages across the Cotswolds National Landscape will welcome new interpretation panels this week – highlighting 37 walking and cycling routes which allow people to explore the countryside around each location. Led by the team at the Cotswolds National Landscape, the project, called Cotswold Gateways, has been developed from idea to implementation since 2017, and was funded by the Rural Payments Agency as part of their Rural Development Programme for England grants scheme.

The new panels celebrate the local culture, businesses, heritage, and wildlife in each location, and invite people to explore local paths and get to know the towns and villages – and the treasures that make them so special – in a deeper way. The Cotswold Gateways panels will be found in Charlbury, Cirencester, Dursley, Hawkesbury, Marshfield, Painswick, Tetbury, Winchcombe, and Wotton-under-Edge. The locations are accessible by public transport, so that when coronavirus restrictions lift, and people are able to travel more freely, they will be able to explore the routes in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way. There are also cycling opportunities, with both on road and off road options. All walking routes will be available to download as PDFs and GPX files online, with GPX files for cycle routes at www.cotswolds-nl.org.uk/cotswold-gateways. The aim of the project is to highlight Cotswolds towns and villages that are overlooked due to the popularity of traditional and well-known honeypot locations, to attract visitors to lesser known corners of the Cotswolds all year round, and to encourage people to engage with local businesses in each location.

Many people have worked with the Cotswolds National Landscape team to bring this huge project to light, including local volunteers, communities, landowners, town and parish councils, local walking groups, Sustrans, and highways authorities. Those involved have contributed to all aspects of the project including the design of routes, securing permissions, installing kissing gates and route improvements, waymarking the routes,  and installing the panels.

Becky Jones Access and Volunteer Lead, Cotswolds National Landscape, said, “We’re delighted to announce the completion of the Cotswolds Gateways project, and I want to say a huge thanks to the many people who have given their time and expertise to make it a success – it’s been a true partnership project that will benefit both locals and visitors to the area.”

Until coronavirus restrictions are appropriately lifted and allow us to travel further, the hope is that those local to each Cotswold Gateways location will enjoy the routes on their doorstep. Once restrictions are lifted, the hope is that everyone will be able to discover and enjoy the locations, and the routes which unfold around them.

A grand total of £25,000 has recently been awarded to 14 exciting new projects across the Cotswolds, and has been allocated by the Caring for the Cotswolds Grants Panel, following their biggest meeting (online) so far. The project applications had already been reviewed by the newly formed Youth Panel for the scheme – and their insightful feedback helped inform the decision making.

One of the new projects, pictured above, was developed by Chalford Parish Council. The village has an active biodiversity group whose members have worked hard in recent years to restore a number of wildlife sites in the village. This project will create a guided nature trail featuring these sites, so that residents can explore and learn about the wildlife in their area.

Beckford Nature Reserve. Photo© Mark McCauley

In the north of the Cotswolds, a new project will soon be underway at Beckford Nature Reserve. A new set of new steps will improve the safety and accessibility to the reserve, especially for the elderly and people who find the terrain difficult. Chairman of Trustees, Mark McCauley adds: “We are incredibly proud that Beckford Nature Reserve can offer everyone a place of such beauty and tranquillity, especially during these difficult and challenging times.”

Volunteers clearing invasive Himalayan Balsam. A Caring for the Cotswolds grant will allow the longstanding removal programme to continue Photo© Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. Photo taken pre-coronavirus.

Another of the new projects, this time in the south of the Cotswolds, is being led by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. The project aims to eradicate Himalayan Balsam on the River By Brook from Castle Coombe to Box. Himalayan Balsam is an invasive species that easily outcompetes native plants and flowers, reducing important nectar sources for butterflies and bees. Furthermore, when Balsam dies off in the autumn, river banks are left exposed and vulnerable to erosion. This project is part of a long running programme by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to improve the river for nature and people.

Recognising the importance of young people’s views, project applications were reviewed by the newly formed Youth Panel for the scheme. Youth Panel member Jessica Price comments: “Having the opportunity to escape our homes and look at something other than uniform buildings has been a lifeline during this pandemic, and it is why the Caring for the Cotswolds scheme is so important. By restoring and conserving areas of natural beauty, this positively affects both wildlife and people. The restoration of habitats allows wildlife to flourish, which in turn provides a landscape in which people can come to relax and escape.”

James Webb, Partnerships and Fundraising Lead at Cotswolds National Landscape says, “The 14 new projects are really well spread across the four themes of the Caring for the Cotswolds scheme: conservation, heritage and landscape, improving access, and education and interpretation. It’s especially pleasing to see so many local organisations developing projects that encourage and enable people to access and enjoy the countryside. Through the pandemic, we’ve seen that people value being out in the fresh air more than ever, and these new projects are a real celebration of that idea.

We’d like to give a big thank you to the participating businesses and their customers whose generous contributions help to keep the Cotswolds a special place to live, work, and visit.”

The Caring for the Cotswolds scheme is managed by the Cotswolds National Landscape team. The scheme is built around a visitor-giving model, where visitors voluntarily contribute to member businesses, who pass the funds along to be allocated as grants to projects that benefit the Cotswolds unique landscape and heritage. The full list of new projects is as follows:

Conservation of habitats and species

• Box Parish Council – £2,350 grant towards habitat improvement work along ‘The Lovar Walk’, as well as seating and interpretation.  Due to complete October 2021.
• Bradford on Avon Town Council – £2,480 grant towards a biological evaluation of an ancient woodland to help inform and facilitate future work. Delivered in partnership with The Friends of Becky Addy Wood. Due to complete August 2021.
• National Trust – £1,750 grant towards the installation of a new cattle drinking trough to facilitate conservation grazing across a wider area of Boundary Court Farm, Woodchester. Due to complete September 2021.
• Wiltshire Wildlife Trust – £1,326 grant towards a programme to eradicate Himalayan Balsam, an invasive species, on the River By Brook from Castle Coombe to Box. Due to complete September 2021.

Heritage and landscape

• Leafield Parish Council – £2,313 grant towards the restoration of the Leafield Lychgate; an impressive war memorial at the entrance to the church yard. Due to complete April 2021.
• Radway Parish Council – £1,384 grant towards improved access to Old St Peter’s churchyard, with interpretation on the history of the site and notable tombs, building on existing interest in the area from the Civil War. The project will culminate in the production of a heritage trail leaflet. Due to complete May 2022.
• The Bath Stone Museum Quarry Trust – £1,900 grant towards the restoration of the Box Quarry Crane, which will be located in Bath and tell the story of the Cotswolds industrial heritage. Due to complete November 2021.

Improving access

• Beckford Nature Reserve – £1,676 grant towards a set of new steps to improve the safety and accessibility to the reserve, especially for the elderly and people who find the terrain difficult, and easier to maintain for the future. Due to complete March 2021.
• Chalford Parish Council – £1,315 grant towards the creation of a guided walking trail of existing wildlife sites in the village, including new information boards, to encourage residents and visitors to explore the area. Due to complete July 2021.
• Tetbury Rail Lands Regeneration Trust – £2,500 grant towards the surfacing of the new section of the Tetbury Trail – extending the multi-user path by 1km for the benefit of residents and visitors. The new section allows people from Tetbury to walk, run, cycle, or ride to the Trouble House café/restaurant. Due to complete April 2021.
• Tysoe Parish Council – £1,262 grant towards the development of a nature trail using the local network of public footpaths and a series of interpretation boards. The trail will connect wildlife sites and will be available online and via a leaflet. Due to complete December 2021.

Education and interpretation

• Chipping Campden School – £2,500 grant towards construction of “The Well” – a straw bale roundhouse. The Roundhouse will be used for delivering activities for the students and the community. It will also act as a hub for craft and environmental education. Due to complete November 2021.
• Sladebank Woods CIC – £1,375 grant towards construction of a pole structure for use as an Education shelter. Built by volunteers with a range of abilities, it will be the focal point for a range of future events, including bringing young people with severe learning difficulties into nature to develop practical and life skills. Due to complete August 2021.
• Yatton Keynell Parish Council – £801 grant towards the restoration of the village pond in partnership with the local primary school. The project will involve planting new native species and pupils will undertake pond surveys to measure the health of the environment. Due to complete September 2021.

The new projects are in addition to the projects that the scheme has already funded. Further details and photographs of projects supported can be seen here: https://www.cotswolds-nl.org.uk/looking-after/caring-for-the-cotswolds/

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Please contact Alana Hopkins at alana.hopkins@cotswolds-nl.org.uk / 01451 862 003 for further information or interview opportunities.

• The Cotswolds National Landscape was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1966 in recognition of its rich, diverse and high quality landscape. www.cotswolds-nl.org.uk
• The Cotswolds National Landscape is looked after by an independent organisation (officially titled Cotswolds Conservation Board) established in 2004 which has a small employee team along with 37 board members – 15 nominated by local authorities, 8 by parish councils and 14 appointed by the Secretary of State.
• The Cotswolds is the third largest protected landscape in England after the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks and represents 10% of the total AONB area in the UK. It covers 2,038 square kilometres (790 square miles), stretching from Warwickshire and Worcestershire in the north, through Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, down to Bath and Wiltshire in the south.
• The organisation’s land management position statements are for use by local authorities, government agencies, land agents, advisers, land managers, farmers and the public. They, along with the planning and transport position statements are available online at www.cotswolds-nl.org.uk
• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), along with National Parks, are considered to be the most special landscapes in the country and belong to an international family of protected areas.  There are 38 AONBs in England and Wales, and a further eight in Northern Ireland.  For further details, visit: www.landscapesforlife.org.uk. For details of the 15 National Parks in the UK visit: www.nationalparks.uk

Image by Louie Fletcher.

Artistic and landscape collaboration announces new public art trail for 2021

The Cotswolds has long been famed for its glorious landscape, stunning architecture and breath-taking views. Now a panel of influential artists have joined forces with the team at the Cotswolds National Landscape, to shine an artistic light on the area.

Cotswolds National Landscape is a not for profit organisation, which works across the Cotswolds area to protect and promote the beautiful landscape. Working with the local creative community, the organisation has developed a unique response to aid recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, with the new Kingfisher Trail, Cotswolds 2021.

The Kingfisher Trail will encourage people to explore an accessible public art trail throughout the Cotswolds. Using two distinct routes inspired by the rivers Severn and Thames, the Kingfisher Trail will offer a unique way for people to connect with nature in 2021. The kingfisher has been chosen based on its reputation as a resilient and adaptable bird – characteristics shared with the communities and businesses the trail seeks to support. In a post-Covid context, the kingfisher is a symbol of hope and positivity for us all.

The trail officially launches in May 2021 and will feature 21 large scale kingfisher sculptures, all creatively interpreted by both established artists and emerging talent. In the run-up to the launch, artists will be showing their works in progress and a series of events are planned to showcase these new works of art before they are sited on the trail, to be visited and viewed at a series of locations across the local area.

All of the members of the trail’s artistic programming panel, comprised of PJ Crook, celebrated painter and sculptor; Andy ‘Dice’ Davies, the founder and director of the internationally acclaimed Cheltenham Paint Festival; Arabella Kizsely from the Little Buckland Gallery; abstract artist Ed Swarez; and illustrator Imogen Harvey-Lewis will each decorate a giant model kingfisher.

The artistic panel have brought together a further 16 artists who will generate an impressive kingfisher line-up, boasting originality and creativity when the trail launches next spring. In the meantime, sponsors and host venues are sought to work with the Kingfisher Trail team to deliver a unique Cotswolds experience for trail visitors.

Twenty of the sculptures are looking for venues where they can perch for the duration of the trail, from May to September 2021, and one special ‘flying kingfisher’ will swoop in and around the region, at a series of handpicked destinations, venues, and events.

To celebrate the conclusion of the trail, the individual kingfishers will be available to buy at auction in October 2021 – in a rare opportunity to snap up the work of all the contributing artists and in turn raise funds for the Cotswolds National Landscape projects.

Painter and sculptor PJ Crook MBE commented:

“I am delighted to have been invited to be on the panel advising the Kingfisher Trail, particularly as Cotswolds National Landscape team has embraced the idea of including a group of students from the National Star College, of which I am an active patron.

The students will make the idea of painting one of the beautiful huge kingfisher sculptures all the more exciting for me too, as I have volunteered to also take part! And I know that the other artists will all be thinking of brilliant ways to make their kingfisher models truly stunning and unique, to showcase the glorious waterways and landscape vistas of our beloved Cotswolds region.”

For more details and to get involved visit – www.kingfishertrail.org

ENDS

Editors Notes – for high resolution imagery and interviews please contact Mel Jones at Encore PR – melanie@encorepr.co.uk

Following the government’s announcement of a national New Year 2021 lockdown, we highly recommend reading the full guidance on the latest lockdown rules to understand the restrictions. 

The Cotswolds National Landscape is within accessible driving distance for many surrounding towns and cities, but we’d like to remind people that at the moment, it’s very important for everyone who can to stay at home. The new lockdown rules state that we should all minimise the amount of time we spend outside our homes. If you are able to exercise locally to where you live in the Cotswolds, please remember our advice when you are outside:

1. We must still all observe social distancing guidelines, even outdoors and in the countryside. If a walking path is narrow, wait for others to pass. Be patient.
2. Respect those who live here.
   Many of our countryside residents and landowners are older and fit into the ‘vulnerable’ category of those at risk from coronavirus. Help protect their health by remembering good hygiene around gates and stiles, being considerate about where you park, and looking out for and adhering to any route diversions (which may be in place to protect those on farms, for example asking walkers not to go through the yard, or not to go past the house etc).
3. Plan your time. Download self-guided walking routes, and make sure you’re dressed appropriately for the weather, and know when it gets dark.
4. Remember the Countryside Code. Stick to it. If you don’t know it, learn it here.
5. Tread carefully. Please be very careful not to disturb wildlife. This might include ground-nesting birds, or wildflowers.
6. Please use your common sense. Keep dogs on leads and pick up their mess, don’t leave any litter.

Take your time, and breathe – these continue to be strange times, but we can once again take this opportunity to find reassurance in the healing qualities of nature, and to enjoy and appreciate our surroundings more.

As Covid-19 Lockdown 2 begins in England tomorrow (5/11/20), we would like to offer an update from the team at the Cotswolds National Landscape. The government has said that we should all stay at home. This is to protect the NHS from becoming overstretched through the winter, and to try and halt the exponential rise in Covid-19 cases. The new rules are here. Please take the time to read through them.

Thankfully, this time, we can still enjoy outdoor exercise (with members of our own households, or one person from another household), and we may travel to open spaces – but again, we should do our best to stay local.

With this in mind, we’d like to remind those who are looking to enjoy the countryside on their doorstep of the following:

1. We must still all observe social distancing guidelines, even outdoors and in the countryside.
   If a walking path is narrow, wait for others to pass. Be patient.
2. Respect those who live here.
   Many of our countryside residents and landowners are older and fit into the ‘vulnerable’ category of those at risk from coronavirus. Help protect their health by remembering good hygiene around gates and stiles (please use hand sanitiser and/or gloves), being considerate about where you park, and looking out for and adhering to any route diversions (which may be in place to protect those on farms, for example asking walkers not to go through the yard, or not to go past the house etc).
3. Plan your visit – try to avoid the honeypot locations (towns and countryside); research where you’re going to park; and check if the locations and car parks you’re heading to are open. Download self-guided walking routes. Remember to plan your walks – take drinks and food, and make sure you have planned for the weather (especially with your clothing and footwear). Time your walk so you are back at home, or at your car, before it gets dark.
4. Remember the Countryside Code. Stick to it. If you don’t know it, learn it here.
5. Tread carefully – remember that during lockdown, nature has reclaimed space! Please be very careful not to disturb wildlife.
6. Please use your common sense – keep dogs on leads and always pick up their mess, don’t release sky lanterns, don’t light campfires or bonfires, don’t drop any litter.
7. Many local businesses will be closed – plan ahead, and bring food and drink with you…and please take your litter home! Some businesses may be offering take away food and drink – but again, please check in advance.
8. Many toilet facilities may be closed – please check before visiting.

Rural Skills

Having considered the new lockdown guidelines, we have decided to cancel our planned Rural Skills between now and the end of December 2020. This is for the safety of our participants, trainers, and landowners. It is also to avoid non-essential travel. We are hoping to reschedule courses for early 2021. If you have a place booked on a course affected by this decision, we will be in touch with you.

Volunteers

We couldn’t do what we do without our amazing volunteers. This includes over 350 Cotswold Voluntary Wardens, and a team of dedicated volunteers helping us with the Glorious Cotswold Grasslands project. For the duration of Lockdown 2, we are suspending volunteering activities. If you volunteer with us, firstly, thank you very much; secondly, we will be in touch to keep you updated with any changes in the situation.

Reaching us

Since the beginning of the first lockdown, members of the team have been working from home. We will continue to do that. If you need to contact us, please use email in the first instance. Our email addresses are all on the Meet the Team page of our website.

Finally

We would like to encourage everyone to follow the Lockdown 2 guidelines, to take care of yourselves (and each other), and to stay warm and well through the winter.

Volunteers plant 1,100 trees in just two months

A campaign to replace some of the thousands of Gloucestershire trees being decimated by ash dieback has reached its halfway point in just two months.

BBC Radio Gloucestershire’s ‘Ourboretum’ project called on volunteers to grow saplings at home, which will then be planted outside in the winter of 2021/22.

And green-fingered volunteers leapt to the challenge, planting 650 acorns, 200 beech mast and 270 hazelnuts since late July. They will grow into oaks, beeches and hazels respectively.

Those getting involved in Ourboretum include:

• A family-run coach company getting staff involved as ‘a symbol of new beginnings’
• A couple who collected 26 acorns as they celebrated their 26^th wedding anniversary
• A Forest of Dean gardening group growing 50 trees
• A woman growing a tree in memory of her mum
• A mother inspired by her daughter who gave away acorns as favours on her wedding day

BBC Radio Gloucestershire breakfast presenter Mark Cummings said: “What a phenomenal response! Ourboretum is showing just how important the great outdoors is to Gloucestershire folk.

“If our amazing volunteer army carries on like this we won’t just hit the 2,020 target – we’ll smash it.”

According to the Woodland Trust, 95% of British ash trees will vanish over the coming years because of ash dieback, an incurable disease. Gloucestershire is home to hundreds of thousands of ash trees – it is the third most common tree in the county – and experts fear the loss could have a disastrous effect on the landscape and wildlife.

Mark Connelly, Land Management Officer for the Cotswolds National Landscape said, “We’re delighted with the response so far to Ourboretum! It’s really captured people’s imaginations in Gloucestershire, and we’re really pleased so many people are already involved! We’re also pleased that the project caught the attention of Ground Control – who are now supplying us with around 2,000 pots, as well as compost and labels, to help people continue to join in with this brilliant project.”

How to get involved:

• Volunteers collect seeds during autumn using the guidance online: www.bbc.co.uk/ourboretum
• The website will then help them get all the info they need to begin growing the seeds at home
• These home-grown saplings will then be planted across Gloucestershire next winter (2021/2022). BBC Radio Gloucestershire and Cotswolds AONB will identify locations where the fledgling trees can be planted and aim to log each one to create a permanent record of where they are growing

ENDS

Notes to editor:

• For more information, please contact jack.pitts@bbc.co.uk or 07834 845545

PRESS RELEASE REGARDING THE A417 ‘MISSING LINK’ ROAD SCHEME
From: Cotswolds Conservation Board, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, National Trust and Natural England

Highways England has announced its revisions to the A417 Missing Link road scheme, addressing some of the concerns raised in feedback during the October 2019 public consultation.

The Cotswolds Conservation Board, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, National Trust and Natural England are urging Highways England to use this opportunity to ensure the revised road scheme not only addresses safety and congestion issues but also brings the best outcomes for local communities and benefits the natural beauty, diverse wildlife and unique heritage of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB).

Each of the four organisations has proactively engaged with the scheme since it was first proposed and, although collaborative work has resulted in positive changes, there is now an opportunity to ensure the design of the new road meets the landscape-led vision, objectives and design principles that have been agreed by Highways England and other stakeholders, as well as the Government’s desire to ‘build better, build greener’.

The importance of nature and outdoor spaces to our health and wellbeing has become even clearer in recent months. So, it’s now more important than ever that we work hard to safeguard opportunities for everyone to explore and enjoy the countryside. This is a special environment that deserves protection. The organisations would like to see the following improvements:

1. People – as well as creating a safer, less congested route, people should have more opportunity to explore and enjoy this outstanding landscape, its ecology and heritage. Existing footpaths and rights of way must be improved so they are accessible for all and new recreational opportunities developed for local communities and visitors.

2. Landscape – to achieve the landscape-led vision, the revised scheme should include mitigation to minimise the adverse impact of new infrastructure, reverse biodiversity net loss, and strengthen landscape connectivity. Equal care should be paid to mitigation measures as to planning requirements.

3. Wildlife – Highways England should maximise opportunities for nature to thrive. Protecting irreplaceable habitats and providing relevant connections so that species can travel across the landscape will avoid negative impacts on biodiversity, strengthen ecological resilience and enhance the special environment of the Cotswolds AONB. Gloucestershire’s economy and people’s quality of life depends upon the health of its natural assets and yet they are declining at unprecedented rate.

The Cotswolds Conservation Board, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, National Trust and Natural England, alongside other key stakeholders, are all eager to help Highways England continue to seek the best way to deliver a landscape-led scheme that leaves a positive legacy for future generations, the landscape, wildlife and heritage.

This is a once in a generation opportunity to resolve the challenges of the present road and protect the environment within which it sits. Further collaborative thinking and a true commitment to ‘build greener’ will ensure that the huge potential here can be fully realised.

ENDS
Background Information:
Information about the A417 ‘Missing Link’ scheme can be found on Highways England’s website.

Cotswolds Conservation Board:
The Cotswolds was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1966 in recognition of its rich, diverse and high-quality landscape. The Cotswolds AONB is looked after by the Cotswolds Conservation Board – an independent organisation established in 2004 which has 37 members – 15 nominated by local authorities, 8 by parish councils and 14 appointed by the Secretary of State. The Cotswolds is the third largest protected landscape in England after the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks and represents 10% of the total AONB area in the UK. It covers 2,038 square kilometres (790 square miles), stretching from Warwickshire and Worcestershire in the north, through Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, down to Bath and Wiltshire in the south.

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust:
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) works closely with local communities, landowners and partners to deliver much-needed conservation work across more than 1000 hectares of nature reserves, and within the wider landscape of Gloucestershire. This vital work safeguards these remaining special wild places and drives nature’s recovery, working towards a future where the countryside thrives once more with wildlife, wildflowers, trees, butterflies, insects and animals. The charity also delivers a vast range of events and projects across the county, as well as providing free public access to its nature reserves, enabling people from all backgrounds to spend time outdoors and get closer to nature.

National Trust:
The National Trust is a conservation charity founded in 1895 by three people who saw the importance of our nation’s heritage and open spaces and wanted to preserve them for everyone to enjoy. Entirely independent of Government, the National Trust looks after more than 250,000 hectares of countryside, 778 miles of coastline and
hundreds of special places across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The National Trust works in partnership with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to look after and protect Crickley Hill, its archaeology, limestone grassland, ancient woodland and diverse wildlife.

Natural England:
Established in 2006, Natural England is the government’s independent adviser on the natural environment. Our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.

For further press information and images please contact:
Cotswolds Conservation Board – Alana.Hopkins@cotswolds-nl.org.uk
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust – tessa.hirst@gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk
National Trust – Sue.Wharmby@nationaltrust.org.uk
Natural England – peter.w.loat@naturalengand.org.uk