Latest Downlands Trust News and Events
This page contains the latest news items from the Downlands Trust.
Updated Website Published 18/02/2019
Downlands Trust update
January 2019
The Downlands Trust (DT) and the Downlands Partnership (DP) gave a joint presentation to PROBUS club of Banstead last week. Noreen Siba (Trustee, Downlands Trust) and Helen Cocker (Operations Manager Surrey Countryside Partnerships Team) together, gave an illustrated talk to members of Banstead Probus at one of their monthly meetings in Reigate.
The event was so well attended with over 60 members there and interesting questions were raised .For example, opportunities to work closer with local golf clubs re some of grasslands in their sites. A botanist spoke of possible contact with their educational projects. Links were questioned with Banstead Conservators and generally about local flora, fauna and the contrasting demands of protecting local woodlands v grasslands.
Probus gave the Downlands Trust a very kind donation of £50 following the talk and many members took away the DT and DP Leaflets, so we hope some Probus members will now join as members of the Downlands Trust.
December 2018
We wish all our Members and Friends a big Thank You and a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all.
From all at the Downlands Trust team.
December 2018
A big thank you to Downlands Partnership for the BBQ for volunteers
A few of our Downlands Trustees attended the excellent BBQ on December 19 at Old Lodge Farm and enjoyed the roaring camp fire and a very good spread of food. Some members of the Downlands Trust met the new intern Jeremy who thanked the Downlands Trust for their support.
After Alan Brown from the Downlands Project spoke and thanked volunteers, Noreen Siba from the Trust gave a big tin of Heroes to the volunteers as a chance to say a small thank you to ‘Hero’ Volunteers for all their hard work in looking after the Downlands.
December 2018
The Trust have recently purchased some 2,000 saplings for hedging to improve the boundaries round Old Lodge Farm. Many of these saplings were planted at the end of November when Downlands Partnership volunteers were joined by employees from WYG in Guildford and the weekly volunteering group from Surrey Choices. Hedges not only improve habitat and provide a wildlife friendly boundary but they also continue the age old practice for field margins. Part of the grant awarded to the Partnership for the work also covered the provision of stock proof fencing which is being erected in conjunction with the hedge planting.
The Trust would also like to thank WYG in Guildford for their generous donation for further work at Old Lodge Farm.
The Trust have recently purchased some 2,000 saplings for hedging to improve the boundaries round Old Lodge Farm. Many of these saplings were planted at the end of November when Downlands Partnership volunteers were joined by employees from WYG in Guildford and the weekly volunteering group from Surrey Choices. Hedges not only improve habitat and provide a wildlife friendly boundary but they also continue the age old practice for field margins. Part of the grant awarded to the Partnership for the work also covered the provision of stock proof fencing which is being erected in conjunction with the hedge planting.
The Trust would also like to thank WYG in Guildford for their generous donation for further work at Old Lodge Farm.
December 11th 2018
Dear Friends,
We are delighted to announce that Sarah Milan has agreed to become a trustee and Membership Secretary. Sarah has most recently held a senior position at the Royal Marsden hospital and has since then retired, although continues to hold part time and volunteering roles. Sarah comes with experience in management as well as the technical and communication skills necessary to deal with the administration of the Trust’s membership. She has straightaway been dropped into the deep end (but not without support!) of the annual membership renewal process – some of you may have already received her letter. If you have any membership queries, please do not hesitate to contact Sarah via out Trust inbox or the email address noted in the renewal letter.
Dear Friends,
We are delighted to announce that Sarah Milan has agreed to become a trustee and Membership Secretary. Sarah has most recently held a senior position at the Royal Marsden hospital and has since then retired, although continues to hold part time and volunteering roles. Sarah comes with experience in management as well as the technical and communication skills necessary to deal with the administration of the Trust’s membership. She has straightaway been dropped into the deep end (but not without support!) of the annual membership renewal process – some of you may have already received her letter. If you have any membership queries, please do not hesitate to contact Sarah via out Trust inbox or the email address noted in the renewal letter.
November 2018
We held our AGM on 15 October 2018. It was great to see Downlands Partnership attend, including Connor Harrison who very kindly ended the meeting with a presentation on the Partnership sites and in particular the impact of the severe weather we have experienced over the past year. Regarding the Trust’s 2017/18 year, in summary, the Trust finances remain stable, and for the first time membership numbers have also stabilised after several years of slight decline, no doubt thanks to the great marketing effort led by Noreen. Grant applications had initially been slow in 2017/18, with the Downlands Partnership undergoing a restructuring, but have accelerated and we have been able to make a number of donations in the past few months in support of chalkland maintenance. Several other initiatives were mentioned, including the Trust’s enhanced Privacy Notice in response to new GDPR legislation. The AGM provided an opportunity for members to raise probing questions on the activities of the Trust; we hope that despite the bleak evenings at this time of year, we can have greater number of members attend in future to engage personally with the trustees.
We held our AGM on 15 October 2018. It was great to see Downlands Partnership attend, including Connor Harrison who very kindly ended the meeting with a presentation on the Partnership sites and in particular the impact of the severe weather we have experienced over the past year. Regarding the Trust’s 2017/18 year, in summary, the Trust finances remain stable, and for the first time membership numbers have also stabilised after several years of slight decline, no doubt thanks to the great marketing effort led by Noreen. Grant applications had initially been slow in 2017/18, with the Downlands Partnership undergoing a restructuring, but have accelerated and we have been able to make a number of donations in the past few months in support of chalkland maintenance. Several other initiatives were mentioned, including the Trust’s enhanced Privacy Notice in response to new GDPR legislation. The AGM provided an opportunity for members to raise probing questions on the activities of the Trust; we hope that despite the bleak evenings at this time of year, we can have greater number of members attend in future to engage personally with the trustees.
September 2018
Two new Rams purchased from an East Sussex farm by the Downlands Trust for the Downlands Project in September 2018.
The ram in the enclosure below is a Suffolk Ram and the photograph below that is the new Beulah Ram.
Two new Rams purchased from an East Sussex farm by the Downlands Trust for the Downlands Project in September 2018.
The ram in the enclosure below is a Suffolk Ram and the photograph below that is the new Beulah Ram.
September 2018
New grant form created as word document in Apply for Grants tab.
August 2018
Below
Here are some photos of some the Downlands Trust trustees at the Carshalton Environmental Fair on Bank Holiday Monday August 27, 2018.
Downlands Trustees Pam, Noreen and Connor from the Downlands Partnership and Lucy who was spinning with wool from North Downs sheep.
We had so much interest, recruited a few members, gave out many Downlands Trust leaflets.
An event we must be at again next year!
New grant form created as word document in Apply for Grants tab.
August 2018
Below
Here are some photos of some the Downlands Trust trustees at the Carshalton Environmental Fair on Bank Holiday Monday August 27, 2018.
Downlands Trustees Pam, Noreen and Connor from the Downlands Partnership and Lucy who was spinning with wool from North Downs sheep.
We had so much interest, recruited a few members, gave out many Downlands Trust leaflets.
An event we must be at again next year!
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July 2018
Below - The Downlands Trust at the Chipstead Flower Show Saturday the 14/07/2018
All set up , giving out the Downlands Trust leaflets and with the best view of the Downlands with cattle!
Helping me pitch our cause!
Below - The Downlands Trust at the Chipstead Flower Show Saturday the 14/07/2018
All set up , giving out the Downlands Trust leaflets and with the best view of the Downlands with cattle!
Helping me pitch our cause!
Above: The Downlands Trust new banner to take to forthcoming events
July 2018
Photo above taken at the Meadows Day on Saturday July 7 at Banstead Woods ,
Downlands Trustees:
Geoff Eales, Pamela Mascall, Irena Postlova, Noreen Siba and Roger Findlay (John Powdrell was having a cup of tea)
The Downlands Trust have a stall at the Meadows Day event on Saturday 7th July, at the information area near Holly Lane car park, Banstead Woods. Do look us up, meet the trustees and have a chat about what we are up to, what you would like us to do more of, or just about the lovely flowers and butterflies that have appeared on our meadows!
Other events where we plan to be present include the Chipstead Flower Show on Saturday 14th July and the Environmental Fair in Carshalton Park on Monday 27th August.
May 2018
At the AGM on 31 October 2017 we reported on the Downlands Trust’s solid financial standing, re-confirmed its role as a fund raising and fund granting body, and re-confirmed its unchanged future direction. The formal part of the meeting was followed by an excellent presentation by Sean Grufferty from our key partner, the Downlands Partnership, on the complexities of grazing as a tool to maintain our chalk grassland habitats. We would like to extend warm thanks to all those who attended, as well as to all our members who have recently renewed their membership or are in the process of doing so.
We may be seeking one or two additional trustees this year, so watch this space. In the meantime, should anyone be interested in a trustee role and is able to commit significant time to helping the Trust, please do contact us.
Best wishes in the new year!
November 2017
Five 'Tree Poppers' have just been purchased for the Partnership at a cost of £1,240.
Tree Poppers are new, revolutionary tools, for removing scrub. They effectively remove the whole of the root ball. Previously bush cutters were the preferred method to remove scrub from Chalk Grassland but they do not remove the roots and thus stumps needed to be treated with pesticides to prevent regrowth or areas had to be revisited as the scrub continued to grow.
The Tree Poppers are also a more user friendly tool compared with brush cutters, which are noisy and can be dangerous tools. The Tree Poppers make removing scrub less strenuous with the long handle and effective mechanism which does all the work for the user.
The picture above shows volunteer Dave using a tree poppers the day after they arrived.
September 2017
Dear Downlands Trust members,
Our annual AGM meeting will be taking place on Tuesday 31st October 2017 at the same venue as last year. You will be receiving a letter with full details shortly. The meeting provides a great opportunity to hear about the Trust’s work in the past year and its financial standing, and to ask questions. We very much hope to see you there.
September 2017
In the last year, the Downlands Trust has funded the purchase of timber for signposts, funded a new shearing machine, match-funded clearance work at Quarry Hangers, match-funded costs for the Partnership Apprentice, contributed costs for livestock fencing at Chipstead Downs, purchased protective clothing for scout groups at Old Lodge Farm and contributed to the cost of new Partnership goats!
Thanks to the fantastic effort of the Beavers Section of the 1st Tadworth (Invincible) Sea Scout Group, an impressive
£513.91 was raised in March to support the Grazing Team's purchase of six new goats. The Beavers completed a sponsored swim and all funds were given to the Downlands Trust, so the kind sponsors could Gift Aid their donations as well. The Beavers have enjoyed environmental education sessions with the Grazing Team at the farm this summerand last and also a spring walk this year at Chipstead Downs/Banstead Woods. They will be coming back to the farm in the autumn to make bug hotels! Our sincere thanks to Beaver Scout Leader Sarah Evans and the Group for their ongoing support and for this generous donation. We are very grateful and so are the goats.
Why not become a member of the Downlands Trust and help support your local countryside.
Join us by filling in the form in the Join Us tab, fourth tab up from the tabs bottom on the left.
Downlands Trust Purchases More Feisty Goats
April 2017
The Downlands Trust is delighted to have donated £600 towards the purchase of six new feral male goats to graze on Chipstead Downs, Marden Park and possibly Park Ham in Chaldon. The goats will carry out important work (through their favourite activity – eating!) in preventing areas from becoming overrun with scrub regrowth, thus aiding chalk grassland restoration. Goats can be very difficult to train and it takes a great amount of effort and time for them to become easy to handle. The Downlands Partnership, which manages the site, has therefore purchased the goats from a farm reputed to provide healthy, already trained goats. Happy Easter, and enjoy your spring walks!
The Downlands Trust is delighted to have donated £600 towards the purchase of six new feral male goats to graze on Chipstead Downs, Marden Park and possibly Park Ham in Chaldon. The goats will carry out important work (through their favourite activity – eating!) in preventing areas from becoming overrun with scrub regrowth, thus aiding chalk grassland restoration. Goats can be very difficult to train and it takes a great amount of effort and time for them to become easy to handle. The Downlands Partnership, which manages the site, has therefore purchased the goats from a farm reputed to provide healthy, already trained goats. Happy Easter, and enjoy your spring walks!
Downlands Trustees Take Up Their New Positions
At the AGM on 15 November 2016, four new trustees were elected to join the administration of
the Trust: Giles Mahon, John Powdrell, Geoff Eales and Irena Postlova.
Since then, they have been busy taking on their new roles and considering the short term as well as the longer term direction of the Trust. Giles has become the new Chairman, taking over from Martin
deFreitas. Geoff and Irena are taking over the duties of the Trust Secretary between them:
Geoff is now responsible for ensuring that the Trust continues to operate in accordance with
external regulatory and legal requirements, in particular in relation to the Charity
Commission; while Irena has become the Membership Secretary. And John, with his
expertise in information technology, is looking after data protection and the technology side
of the Trust’s communication. The two re-elected trustees, Roger Findlay as the Treasurer,
and Pamela Mascall, have been providing continuity and support.
In January, the trustees met with the representatives of the Downlands Partnership, one of the
main channels for the Trust’s funding endeavours, to hear about the Partnership’s latest
activities, grant funding, future plans, and, it has to be said, its many challenges. The meeting
was valuable for the new trustees and for setting the direction and parameters of future co-
operation.
The departing trustees, Martin deFreitas and Jenny Gaffney, have offered help in the
handover of their duties. We would like to thank Jenny for the mammoth task of handling the
membership renewals for 2017 and for her recent detailed handover to Irena on all matters
related to membership, and passing on a number of hefty administrative folders – a testament
to Jenny’s and Martin’s hard work over the past years. Martin and Jenny remain Trust
members and will no doubt watch carefully the trustees’ future activities!
This brings us onto membership renewals. The forms and standing order payments are
pouring in, and Roger and Irena are busy monitoring the flow. We are delighted that so many
of you have decided to continue to support the Trust and through it the conservation of the
local countryside. In these times of growing urbanisation combined with financial pressures
on local authorities, it is ever more critical that we work together as a voice for ensuring that
the countryside remains protected. Its benefits are incalculable, ranging from education to
relaxation, exercise, mental health and community engagement. Thank you all again for your
funding support!
In terms of the Trust’s direction, its objectives remain the same: to promote the conservation
of the environment for the benefit of the public through management of the countryside; and
to advance education in the conservation and management of the environment. As trustees,
we will continue to further these aims and administer the Trust’s funds accordingly and with
care.
Specifically since October 2016, the Trust has contributed the following, all in support of the
work of the Downlands Partnership:-
£680 towards the cost of scrub clearance at Quarry Hangers
£325 towards the cost of an apprentice’s training and
£221 for tools.
In addition, we are in the process of considering a sizeable grant application, also from the
Downlands Partnership.
The Trust has reviewed its processes and documentation and has revised its grant application
form, which will be posted on the website for use by any entities involved in local
countryside conservation.
New Tools For Downlands Partnership
Thanks to funding from the Downlands Trust the Downlands Partnership has been able to purchase some much-needed new tools and equipment, including a brushcutter, fuel cans, visors, splitting axes, rakes and hay forks.
Match Funding Secures SITA Grant
Thanks to the provision of 11% match funding by the Downlands Trust, our partners The Downlands Project have successfully secured a £28,000 SITA grant for important Chalk Grassland restoration work at Caterham Viewpoint, Long Hill - Woldingham - and Park Ham on the North Downs.
This money will pay for contractors to make much need inroads into the extensive scrub at both the Viewpoint and Long Hill, where the rare chalk grassland is in danger of being lost to the encroaching tree line. It will also enable the fencing at Park Ham to be replaced so that the conservation grazing programme may continue on that site.
This money will pay for contractors to make much need inroads into the extensive scrub at both the Viewpoint and Long Hill, where the rare chalk grassland is in danger of being lost to the encroaching tree line. It will also enable the fencing at Park Ham to be replaced so that the conservation grazing programme may continue on that site.
Downlands Trust Asists Orchard & Nuttery Restoration
The Downlands Trust has contributed a little over £300 towards the provision of fruit trees for the former Dene Farm (now the Ramblers Rest public house) orchard and nuttery, which is currently being restored by our partners at the Downlands Project. Some of the money will also go towards providing native hedgerow trees on the adjacent Chipstead Downs.
Downlands Trust Agrees to Help Part Fund Downlander Magazine
The Downlands Trust has agreed to contribute just under £500 towards the production of the latest issue of the Downlander magazine – the official magazine of our partners at the Downlands Project. This money represents 50% of the money the Trust collected at last year’s Banstead Countryside Day.
Woodland Grant Obtained Thanks to Match Funding From Downlands Trust
Thanks to guaranteed match funding of between £1000 and £1500 from the Downlands Trust, our partners at the Downlands Project have just been awarded a grant of £5000 (as part of the Mayor of London - Trees for a Greener London scheme) to continue the restoration of Little Woodcote Wood, opp the entrance to Old Lodge Farm. The Woodland Trust will also be supplying a Community Woodland Pack, consisting of approx 100 tree saplings to plant in the wood.
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