Page 5 - The Land Trust Annual Review 2016-17

and community groups to identify and identification days) are increasingly year engaging with stakeholders and
opportunities, I am delighted that we have happening across our sites, with more government around the value of good
once again seen an enormous increase in planned over the coming year. A number quality long term management of these
people taking part in organised activities of our sites have already recorded new or spaces and sharing our innovative funding
and events on our sites. We have seen endangered species (pages 8 and 9). model. We were pleased that our response
a 40% increase in our delivery of health to the Government’s Parks Inquiry gave
activities and guided walks on our sites, As well as measuring the improvement in us an opportunity to present oral evidence
predominantly through an increase in our charitable impacts across our sites to the Select Committee which was
group ranger-led activities, but also mass (health, education, environment, economy reflected in the final report. We have also
participation events such as those hosted and community cohesion), we worked contributed to the Housing White Paper
by running clubs. We also launched our with Interserve to research the Natural consultation and spatial planning and
Health for Life partnership at the Countess Capital Value of Silverdale Country Park vision documents for Greater Manchester
of Chester Country Park, which brings the in Staffordshire. Following our Social and London to further highlight the need
benefits of healthy activities outside to the Value work last year, we wanted to gain to value parks and green spaces to ensure
local community and to the neighbouring a better understanding of Natural Capital that society can benefit from the health,
NHS Trusts (page 10). Activities which Accounting - the value that the green space environmental and social value that green
aim to build community cohesion are provides to the economy, environment spaces in our communities can bring.
another area where we have seen a and society. The results published in
significant increase to involve nearly 55,000 our Hidden Values report showed that Moving Forward
people. In particular, the siting of part of well maintained green spaces provide We continue to have a substantial number
a Beatrix Potter Trail at Langdon Lake economic value by absorbing air pollution, of opportunities in the pipeline, both service
and Meadow, in partnership with Essex storing and removing carbon and reducing charge and endowment funded, which
Wildlife Trust, has resulted in more than and preventing flooding (page 15). will increase the delivery of our charitable
20,000 people visiting the site (page 17).
Fundraising and Grants objectives. We are already involved with
Following a significant increase in As a charity, we enhance our sites and projects throughout the country involving
volunteering over the last few years, we increase the benefits we are able to deliver the delivery of over 12,000 new homes over
saw a slight reduction this year largely as to communities through fundraising. This the next five years, where we will manage
a result of the change of Managing Partner year we have secured more than £380,000 the open space. We continue to use our
for our seven sites in South Yorkshire. This for various projects including £183,600 for experience to assist in long term green
is expected to be a temporary reduction improvements to the Spinney Trail at Park space management with the establishment
as events and activities are re-established. Prewett in Basingstoke; £50,000 towards of further SANG areas in the Thames Basin
The overall trend across the last five years the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park Heath area and work with Local Authorities
still shows a steady increase in participation outdoor classroom and £35,500 towards across the country. As our portfolio
and the support that we received from development work for the visitor centre at continues to grow over the coming years,
individuals and corporate organisations Port Sunlight River Park. We successfully so will the charitable impact we deliver
is invaluable to our site management. received four awards under the Tesco and the benefits to society as a whole.

10 YEARS OF SILVERDALE

MANAGEMENT AT COUNTRY PARK

WEETSLADE INCREASED IN VALUE

COUNTRY PARK BY £2M IN SIX YEARS

Individuals also benefit from the opportunity Bags of Help scheme, enabling us to Management Team
to learn new skills and meet up with friends. create education and wildlife areas at This year we have consolidated our
Northumberlandia near Newcastle; nesting Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Paul
We are extremely proud of our contribution sites at Avenue Washlands, Derbyshire; and
to society through our management a new pond dipping platform at Rabbit Ings, Oberg was confirmed as Director of
of parks and green spaces and the Yorkshire. We have also received grants for Finance. Iain Taylor, Director of Business
delivery of our charitable objectives. A play area improvements at Beam Parklands Development, left the Trust in November
summary of our activities and events in Dagenham, which will be implemented 2016. With a strategic focus on acquisition
for 2016/17 is on pages 11 and 12. and a healthy pipeline of opportunities,
this year. Further details of our fundraising we do not currently intend to fill this role,
With more than 2,300 hectares of and grants are set out on pages 18 and 19. with the Business Development team
greenspace under our management, we I thank all our donors for their support. now reporting to the Chief Executive.
are also in a position to make a positive
contribution to the natural environment. The Value of Green Acknowledgements
The decline of vital bees and other Infrastructure Finally I would like to thank the committed
pollinators across the country has The value of open space and green team of staff, volunteers, Managing Partners
encouraged us to review our planting infrastructure has been the subject of and of course our Trustees, without whom
and management regimes to identify and significant public debate over the year, none of the achievements in this Annual
support declining species, including the from the health benefits of outdoor Review would have been possible. We look
increased planting of wildflowers. BioBlitz activities to the challenge of funding public forward with confidence to even greater
events (community based species count parks. We have therefore spent time this achievements in 2017/18. Thank you.

the Land Trust Annual Review 2016/17 5