We are delighted to announce that we are able to go ahead with our £2.6 million vision for Cley Marshes: the acquisition and restoration of 143 acres of vital habitats between our nature reserves at Cley and Salthouse Marshes; and the building of the new Simon Aspinall Wildlife Education Centre.
This has been possible thanks to unprecedented support. More than £800,000 has been donated by members, the general public, businesses, and charitable trusts. NWT has also secured a confirmed Heritage Grant of £1.5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
Chief Executive of NWT, Brendan Joyce said: “This is amazing news. There are a great many people for us to thank who have supported us with this either professionally or through a contribution to our appeal. Most especially our members, the wider public, many organisations and charities who have helped us to raise the staggering £800,000 that acts as matching funds to the Heritage Lottery Fund grant. We still have a shortfall of £300,000, for which we hope to raise further funds and also use some of the Trust’s vital financial reserve to underwrite.
“We must now start the next leg of this journey, which is to buy Pope’s Marsh, commence the restoration and start work on the Simon Aspinall Wildlife Education Centre.”
As we get ready to deliver this landmark three-year project, this is also an opportunity to look over the past year and a half and the amazing speed with which a vision was defined, an appeal launched and incredible support received.
February 2012 NWT made aware of the sale of Pope’s Marsh. Owned privately by the Pope family for generations and located between NWT’s flagship coastal reserves at Cley and Salthouse Marshes, the land went on the market, attracting significant interest at £1.2million as a base for commercial wildfowling.
There was no doubt that we should seek to obtain the land. Comprising 143 acres (53ha) of coastal grazing marsh, the land forms part of the North Norfolk Coast European protected site and is designated as part of a Special Protection Area (SPA), Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Ramsar Site and SSSI.
It was immediately recognised as the missing piece that brings together an 8km stretch of coast - one of Europe’s finest examples of a complex of coastal habitats and features including shingle ridge, reed bed, open water, salt and freshwater marshes with associated saline lagoons. With the nature reserves surrounding Pope’s Marsh nationally and internationally renowned, its purchase would help us support the vast numbers of wintering and migrating wildfowl, waders and breeding waders as well as bittern, marsh harrier and bearded tit.
March 2012 NWT applies to Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s Social Investment Fund. Available to support urgent strategic environmental projects, the fund is limited in size and open to competition from other Wildlife Trusts and conservation bodies. However, the significance of the Cley purchase was recognised by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation immediately. The Foundation agreed to purchase the land on our behalf, giving us 22 months in which to raise the £1million required to buy back the land and prevent it returning to the open market.
In the same month, the Aspinall Family generously offered NWT support towards our plan to build a new and much needed education facility to adjoin the existing visitor centre. The Simon Aspinall Wildlife Education Centre would allow NWT to provide inspirational information, events and education to its 110,000 visitors annually. It would be named in memory of the local naturalist, Simon Aspinall, who died in 2011. Simon had a life-long passion for natural history, and his life and career was dedicated to working for the conservation of wildlife throughout the UK and Middle East. Simon’s family have said his love of the natural world, personal and professional dedication to conservation of wildlife and landscapes, and his generosity in sharing experiences, ideas and knowledge about wildlife are recognised and reflected in the goals of the Aspinall Centre at Cley.
August 2012 NWT launches an appeal to members and the public. Supported by the Eastern Daily Press, the appeal is the most successful in the Trust’s history, raising £80,000 in the first two weeks. Running alongside the appeal, MyCley is launched to capture visitors’ special memories of the nature reserve.
September 2012 Nature Iraq, the leading wildlife conservation NGO in Iraq, makes a donation of $1,000 as an act of global support for the protection of marshes.
A period of consultation begins with people likely to use the new centre and with knowledge of the habitats. Schools, colleges, birders, artists, families, teenagers and our members are encouraged to inform our plans and public bodies including Natural England and Environment Agency are consulted.
January 2013 The Heritage Lottery Fund provides a grant of £37,500 to help us develop the project through essential building surveys, reports and the creation of land management plans, amongst other costs, to give us the best possible chance of securing the full grant.
April 2013 The Geoffrey Watling Charity announces four major awards to Norfolk charities marking what would have been the local entrepreneur’s 100th birthday. The donation of £100,000 continues the Charity’s longstanding support of NWT’s work across Norfolk.
May 2013 The final bid to Heritage Lottery Fund is submitted.
June 2013 The Otter Trust, founded by Philip and Jeanne Wayre as a response to the catastrophic decline in the other population, donates £100,000 as part of its commitment to supporting the work of like-minded environmental organisations.
August 2013 Planning permission is granted by North Norfolk District Council for both the Aspinall Centre and the construction of a bird hide and viewing shelter on the new land as well as improvements to the footpath.
September 2013 A 25-minute screenshow about Cley Marshes, created by NWT and the Forum Trust plays in the Fusion gallery, Norwich for two weeks, attracting over xxx visitors. The stunning imagery is complemented by MyCley memories, submitted by the public.
The total raised through the public appeal, community fundraising (art exhibitions, biscuit sales and open gardens to name but a few) and the support of charitable trusts and business is confirmed as £800,000, making this the most successful public appeal in NWT’s history.
The Heritage Lottery Fund awards £1.5 million to the project. As a result, a total of £2.3 million is secured. Robyn Llewellyn, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund East of England, said: “This project is fantastic for wildlife and visitors alike. The marshes already have an international reputation and this will be strengthened by the work that will now take place, ensuring that even more visitors can enjoy the beauty of the area.”