Wildlife trust gets bags of help - The Worcester Observer

Wildlife trust gets bags of help

Worcester Editorial 26th Apr, 2019   0

A COUNTY farm is encouraging local families and children to reconnect with nature after a funding boost from a supermarket giant enabled it to upgrade its base.

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s ‘Explorers on the Farm’ project was awarded £2,000 through Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme. The money was used to buy new picnic benches made from recycled plastic bottles in its courtyard area.

Every year more than 7,000 people visit Lower Smite Farm in Hindlip, which is home to Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s operational base and education centre. The group welcomes families and schools from across the country, as well as hosting a monthly children’s club.

Becky Bradshaw-King, funding development officer at the trust, said: “As a society, we’re becoming increasingly aware of the advantages for children playing and learning in a natural outdoor setting.




“Improved health and fitness, development of natural science skills, environmental awareness, better performance at school and social cohesion are all proven benefits of spending time in the great outdoors.”

The benches are regularly used by school groups who visit Lower Smite Farm to learn about wildlife, food and habitats through practical hands-on activities.


Junior members are also making use of the upgraded benches for arts and crafts activities during their Wildlife Watch sessions.

“We’re so grateful to Tesco for helping us encourage more kids than ever to get outside and experience nature for themselves,” Becky added.

Chris Collins, from Tesco, said: “It’s wonderful to see this project come to life as it is a fantastic example of the positive impact that spending time outdoors can have on children, both for their mental and physical well-being.

“So far Bags of Help has awarded £71 million to more than 23,000 community projects across Britain and we look forward to seeing that number grow.”

Tesco works in partnership with Groundwork to offer its Bags of Help funding scheme, where the money raised from the sale of carrier bags is used to fund thousands of local projects in communities, all voted on by customers in store.

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