Wirksworth Community Wildlife Space

Earth Day Gathering Sunday 23rd April at 3pm

See update 6 on 12th April for full details. We'd love to see you there. 

Last Couple of Days to help out…

These are the last few days of the initial fund-raising campaign. It will formally end on Tuesday the 11th April.

Every pound that you can spare is really helping us out towards costs and getting the project off the ground. We’d like to thank all of you for your contributions. We wouldn’t have got this far without your help.

You will see the campaign end date on the Crowdfunder system going out beyond 11th April while we wrap up various administration tasks. You will also be able to donate beyond the end of the campaign if you wish. The money will still reach us but we may not send further Crowdfunder updates.

What happens next…

Having had such a short and intense fund-raising campaign we inevitably have some catching up to do. We understand that people are anxious to know what we are up to and what comes next.

So, although it may appear quiet, there is a lot of work being done in the background, not least of which is completing the sale. We are working on preparation and start up tasks that would normally have been done before launching the fund-raising campaign. So please bear with us while we do this.

We plan to operate in a transparent and open way and, as soon as we can, we will start to provide updates, information and invitations for feedback. 

We are in the process of building a website for the project. This will launch soon, and it will be expanded as the work progresses and things are finalised. This will be the main place to find information about what is going on. 

We will also provide updates (from the website) on the Group Facebook page and a periodic newsletter. We will aim to post the newsletter in various places for those people that do not use their computers for updates.

Essential Field Maintenance

Why is the grass getting so long?

Well, it isn’t yet but it will be soon and I am sure this question will come up. Rather like you do when you get a new house, we plan to do very little on the field for this first season. We will monitor what is there and, if needed, we will keep things in check e.g. brambles, ragwort etc. We will aim to do a hay cut in September.

We will, of course, ensure that the public footpath remains clear.

If you need to reach us

We cannot email you directly using the information you provided when donating as this breaches privacy rules. If you need to reach us, you can email the team directly via [email protected]

WE HAVE SOME WILDLY EXCITING NEWS ? WE HAVE SECURED THE FIELD OFF SUMMER LANE!!!

We are now able to share some wonderful news. We have successfully secured the field off Summer Lane! Thanks to the incredible generosity of some anonymous donors who pledged additional personal funds, we were able to get over the line and we have now exchanged contracts.

In these last two weeks we have been raising funds to repay those personal funds and revised the campaign target to reflect the latest position.

So that's it folks. Join us in celebrating our fantastic success showing just what is possible when we all come together. Thank you to every single one of you. As we've said, it won't be a quick transformation but a long and steady road and we can't wait to get started!

Here's a celebratory owl... one day he may be able to hunt here.

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A rare opportunity has arisen to purchase a piece of land off Summer Lane and Wilder Wirksworth wants to develop a beautiful 10-acre community wildlife space on the edge of town and protect the land from future development.

Imagine a community space with woodland, brimming with wildlife where anyone is welcome to visit, play, watch wildlife and relax.

• A shady wood, full of many species, with blue bells, wild garlic, fungi foraging in the autumn
• A field full of wildflowers that can be seen from across the town
• A place for our children to discover nature, nurture it, connect to it
• Meandering pathways, and contemplative areas
• A sanctuary, untouchable by developers and housing creep
• A beautiful legacy for future generations

Can you help? Any donation, however small will be welcome, as we are aware that significant contributions will be needed quickly to secure this land for our future.

Who are Wilder Wirksworth?

We are Wilder Wirksworth, a community organisation that is rapidly growing - with lots of activities such as talks, walks and other events to promote a love of wildlife and the desire to create more space for nature. Whilst we are initiating the project, we associate closely with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and its group 'Team Wilder'. We are one of the groups within the Wilder DE4 collection of voluntary groups working to promote wildlife.

Our vision is to preserve this open space off Summer Lane on the edge of town whilst developing it into a beautiful woodland and wildlife haven.

The field is currently grassland, an open space with public footpaths that is used by residents and as grazing for sheep or cattle. If the land is held as a community asset for Wirksworth then it will allow us to undertake a long-term project to benefit both the community and local wildlife.

Why do this?

You may be surprised to hear that Derbyshire is one of the most nature depleted counties in the UK. Securing this space will help us to do our part to increase biodiversity and to encourage wildlife to return. One of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's goals is to ensure at least 33% of Derbyshire is good for wildlife by 2030. We'd like to be part of that. 

We all realised during 'lockdown' how important the countryside and the natural world is for our mental and physical wellbeing. Whilst we do live in a beautiful area, it is especially important to provide wild spaces that are easily accessible and close to home.

We also understand that land comes under pressure to provide additional housing especially in some rural communities. Whatever happens in the future around Wirksworth, we'd like to preserve this open space for nature.

How will we do this?

If we are successful in acquiring the land, we will develop more detailed proposals and a plan for the community space. We will set out our short- and longer-term goals and will share these with you in due course. This will include raising biodiversity, creation of different habitats as well as preserving the existing footpaths and improving access at the boundary of the site. All of this will take time and resources, but the team is committed to making this happen, albeit over the long-term.

Why we need you?

We cannot buy Summer Lane field without your support. We are a local community trying to do our bit for the climate and biodiversity crises that affect us all. We will be promoting this locally, but the benefits will be experienced by anyone visiting and walking in the area. Thank you for taking the time to read this page - we would really appreciate your support both financially, and in helping to spread the word about this Crowdfunder campaign.

We can't wait to turn this piece of land into an oasis for wildlife and for you. Whilst we may not all be around to see the site and any trees planted reach full maturity, we will know that we will have done our part to leave a wildlife legacy for our children.

Help us provide wildlife for all, please donate.

FAQs

What happens if we raise more than our target?

If we are successful and raise more than our target we will use the funds raised towards legal fees in establishing the community asset and getting the longer term project off the ground.

What happens if we raise less than our target? (no longer applicable)

If we are not successful in raising enough funds or in acquiring the land then your donations will be refunded to you via the Crowdfunder platform. In this way you are protected should the campaign be unsuccessful.

Why have you set up the campaign as 'Keep what you raise'?

We have set the campaign up as a 'Keep what you raise' because some large pledges have been made outside of the Crowdfunder fundraising platform.

We have also set the project end date beyond the date of the auction to give us time to see if we are successful and perform the necessary administration.

However, rest assured, we are treating this as an All or Nothing campaign. If we don't raise the necessary funds, or we aren't successful in buying the land, we will return your donations to you.