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GWCG Conservation and Heritage Project
Location: Cambridgeshire
Grafham Water is a reservoir in Cambridgeshire, created in the 1960s. The project is raising awareness of the natural and cultural heritage of the local area through presentations, workshops, guided walks and exhibitions.
Grafham Wildlife Conservation Group is creating a valuable historical package for the local area. They are interviewing local people and collecting old photos and stories, to create an archive.
The package project was started by Sam Malt who has lived all his life in the area. This project represents more than historical interest: it is a way of preserving a special era that, although past, is still remembered with affection by local residents.
The project has sparked a local interest in heritage. Sam now writes a regular article on this theme for the “Village Gossip”, and Ellington Gala for the past 2 years have asked him to submit articles for their magazine.
The GWCG also look after 13 local woodlands around Grafham water, with 5 more woods coming on line in the next year. At least one is a SSSI. These are private woodlands that wouldn’t usually be managed for conservation.
The Community Payback Scheme has provided a lot of support. Work takes place almost every Sunday. The group is teaching volunteers appropriate management for conservation and the use of conservation tools. New skills taught include pole lathing, hurdle making and coppicing. Participants are learning to identify and appreciate local plants and animals. A series of guided walks and workshops are planned to encourage local people's involvement in the woodlands.
GWCG won the British Trust of Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) Green Hero regional award: “Community Group of the Year 2006”. They went to Buckingham Palace to collect the award on the May 16, 2006.
On the 1st and 2nd July 2006, Anglian Water held an event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Grafham Water. GWCG created an exhibition and presentation. Project volunteers attended and helped, and Sam Malt was invited by Anglian Water to join the cake cutting ceremony. The GWCG exhibition was the main attraction, with particular interest in the information about the areas flooded to create the reservoir. Over 400 people attended, and it gave a boost to the numbers of families visiting the lake.
Although there is already a lot of information in the package it is not yet finished. There are plans to have an event in Autumn 2006 to show the package to the many people who have been involved. After this there are plans to present the package to various community groups and organisations, with information being available to local libraries. There are plans to set up a website about the project, and eventually all the material will be given to the local records office.
Anyone who is interested in finding out more, or has information about the history of the local area should contact Sam Malt on 01480 810844 (daytime) or 01480 811654 (evening).
| Grants: |
Heritage Lottery Fund: £9563
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