FRIENDS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH PARK TAKE BVCT AWARD

Queen Elizabeth Park is a 24-acre (9.5 hectare) woodland park in Farnborough with two play areas, a pond and two car parks. The trees are mainly beech, sweet chestnut, oak, and a few Scots pines. We also have lots of rhododendrons!

Friends of Queen Elizabeth formed in 2019 when Esso announced their plan to install a new aviation fuel pipeline through the park. Many local people considered the plan to be too invasive and therefore, a pressure group was formed to protect the park’s trees. Friends of Queen Elizabeth Park emerged from the group to look after the park, its plants and wildlife. We work with full support from Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership and Rushmoor Borough Council.

The group focuses its activities on encouraging people to use the park and enhancing the visitor experience. We do this by organising free community activities in the park. As well as focusing on family fun, our events always include an element to hel!p educate young people about nature. These include our annual Easter Trail, the Where’s Rudolph Christmas Trail, poetry trails, summer picnics with music and games, art competitions and bat walks. We also hold monthly Work Parties which are led by Steve from Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership, and our monthly Amblers walks for anyone who feels unable to walk in the park by themselves.

It was a real surprise and a thrill to find out that we won the BVCT Access to Nature award. A big thank you from Stella, Sue and Lynne

Got a great project but don’t have the funds?

BVCT can help. We are pleased to announce the Trust’s Small Grants Fund for 2025 is now open for applications.

We are keen to support any group in the Valley who is carrying out a project that will improve the local environment or access to it. Grants are available in the range of £100-£3,000 and can be up to 100% of costs. Application is simple and they are reviewed monthly, so you’ll soon get a decision.

Examples of previous projects we have supported include

• Benches and bridge materials to improve access to local greenspaces
• Native woodland and meadow flower seeds
• Tools for groups managing sites, including litter pickers and a mower
• Bird and bat boxes
• Equipment to test the water quality of the River Blackwater
• Erection of a swift nesting tower
• Plants for community centres, school and church wildlife gardens

Further details are available on our website at Small grants scheme - Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust

If you want to discuss the project you have in mind before applying, please get in touch and someone will be pleased to help - email us at Chair@BVCT.org.uk or telephone 01252 331353.

THE GOOD AND THE BAD

Two natural history stories of possible interest to BVCT members have appeared in the national press recently. One is good news, and one is bad, so which would you like first? Let’s go with the bad.

Under the cosh Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reported as saying that she wanted businesses to “focus on getting things built and stop worrying about the bats and the newts”. A directive to Natural England to take advice from the Bat Conservation Trust out of a planning document was one of a number of things that had Chris Packham among others up in arms.

Reason to be cheerful, on the other hand, is news that the government have finally announced the introduction of a GCSE in natural history. It is meant to equip young people “to understand and respect the natural world and contribute to the protection and conservation of the environment locally, nationally and internationally.” The efforts of many for over a decade for this seem to have finally borne fruit. Opportunities for BVCT with local schools, maybe?