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Hyndburn's Community-Owned Environmental Charity

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Green Mentor ‘End of Term’ update for St. Wulstan’s

Posted on Posted in Green Mentor, News

Now that our Green Influencers are breaking up for School holidays, I thought it would be a great time to reflect on the Green Mentor project and what has been achieved so far this year and also to showcase the hard work the children have put in working on their chosen projects.

St Wulstans Great Harwood made an Elephant Eco Brick Sculpture to highlight single use plastic waste and a seriously endangered animal the Asian Elephant . This project was completed in conjunction with Bob Turner from Cafod.

The Children also drew elephant pictures on elephant dung paper.

That’s just a taste of what we have been up to and there will be plenty more to come in the new term.
If you would like your school to be involved please get in touch we would love to hear from you.

Kind Regards

Joel Henderson Prospects Green Mentor.

Community Fun Day! Saturday 10th July

Posted on Posted in Get Involved, News

This Saturday will be our second ‘Community Fun Day!’ at Oakhill Park Incredible Edible Garden.

Following on from our successful Community Fun Day at our office on Broadway in Accrington, Danielle, Joel and Garden with be at the Incredible Edible Garden in Oakhill Park to meet the public and tell them about the fantastic work Prospects Foundation is doing in Hyndburn!

If you would like to come along the team with be there from 10.30am until 1pm with Activities and information.

For any queries please contact Gareth on gareth.muir@prospectsfoundation.org.uk

To sign up as a Volunteer please follow the link to find out more! http://prospectsfoundation.org.uk/volunteering

CFD10721
CFD10721

Nature Sketching

Posted on Posted in News, Outdoor Learning

On 28th June, we held a nature sketching event at The Hollins and Jubilee woodland.  We explored nature through different sketching techniques.  This mindful session allowed participants to relax and appreciate nature and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  One participant said, “It’s good to slow down and observe nature and appreciate it in a different way”.

Growing Together 2021 comes to an end!

Posted on Posted in Growing Together, Growing together 2021, News

Growing Together 2021 has wrapped up for this year, with 1,000 growing packs going out to Hyndburn residents across the borough!

With packs dropped off at schools, community groups and places of worship the project has reached a broad range of people across Hyndburn.

Feedback has been great with lots of great photographs which can be view on the project webpage: https://prospectsfoundation.org.uk/growing-together/growing-together-2021/

Growing Together 2021 Project Officer Gareth Muir will be delivering the Rewilding project for remainder of the year. To get in touch email him at gareth.muir@prospectsfoundation.org.uk

GT 2021 Packs Children Smiling

Bike Maintenance Training

Posted on Posted in Cycling, News

All our staff have taken part in basic bike maintenance training! With thanks to Dave from Cycling UK we have learnt how to carry out basic maintenance checks and perform straightforward repairs to ensure all our bikes are ready for the road!

Amongst other things we repaired a puncture, adjusted the brakes and changed a brake cable, checked the gears and carried out an M check. We also learnt how to fit bike helmets properly, so we’re all ready to go!

If you’re interested in borrowing one of our electric bikes then watch this space. Whether you want to get back into cycling, try out cycling to work, or just want to keep up with the kids, then an electric bike might be for you. Further details coming soon.

 

Martholme Greenway Dawn Chorus Walk

Posted on Posted in Hyndburns Woodlands, News

We had a great Dawn Chorus walk along Martholme Greenway on Saturday morning (15th May) despite the rain! It was led by Dave Bickerton and we spotted 36 different bird species in total – well worth getting up for! We walked through Copy Wood and both ways along the Greenway and onto Martholme  viaduct. Many thanks to Dave for sharing his expertise.

Here’s the list of species Dave identified from their song:

Robin
Wren
Jackdaw
Chaffinch
Blackcap
Wood pigeon
Crow
Blue tit
Goldfinch
Blackbird
Dunnock
Magpie
Lesser black backed gull
Chiffchaff
Longtailed tit
Willow warbler
Garden warbler
Bullfinch
Coal tit
Lapwing
Redpoll
Greenfinch
Great spotted woodpecker
Mallard
Goosander
Whitethroat
Song thrush
Great tit
Swallow
Oystercatcher
Stock dove
House martin
Treecreeper
Starling
Collared dove
House sparrow

 

 

Habitats & Heritage Project Officer Recruitment

Posted on Posted in Hyndburns Woodlands, News

We’re currently recruiting for a project officer to run our ongoing Habitats & Heritage programme.

If you’re interested please visit our Job Opportunities page where you’ll find all the documents and information you’ll need to submit an application.

The deadline for applications is 5.00pm on Bank Holiday Monday 31st May 2021.

Interviews will take place on Thursday 10th June.

 

 

Whinney Hill Dawn Chorus Walk

Posted on Posted in Hyndburns Woodlands, News

We held our first Dawn Chorus Walk early on Sunday (2nd May) morning up at the Whinney Hill woodlands in Accrington.

The walk was led by Dave Bickerton and we had five people attending under the covid regulations.

It was a lovely morning and all who attended seemed to enjoy it.  We also learnt how to identify some birds from their birdsong.

 

 

Below is a list of birds that Dave identified, and where on the site:

Main path from Cricket Club to Livingstone RoadSome photos taken on the day by Dot

Wren
Blackbird
Jay
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Song Thrush (serenading from a tree top)
Robin
Dunnock
Great Spotted Woodpecker (flying above)
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Bullfinch

Going up the 59 steps
Willow Warbler
Whitethroat

On the top meadow
Garden Warbler
Redpoll

By the Pond
Long tailed tits
Goldfinch

We also saw 2 Roe Deer, a black rabbit and a cat!

Science Week

Posted on Posted in News, Outdoor Learning

Science week 2021 celebrated science, technology, engineering and maths from 11-20th March.  Outdoor Learning Officer created a “How To Build a Bug Hotel” video for the Year 7 pupils of St. Christopher’s C. of E. High School.  Here’s one of the wonderful bug hotels they made!

Solar meadow webinar video now online

Posted on Posted in News

On Thursday 11th February we ran an online webinar with Sharenergy informing people about the results of our stage 1 feasibility study into the creation of a solar PV meadow on land we own at Coach Road in Oswaldtwistle.

Dave Green of Sharenergy hosted the webinar and Phil Barwood, Chair of Prospects, was also answering questions.  We had just under 30 people attending the webinar and it last 1 hour 20 minutes.

The first 30 minutes consists of Dave Green outlining the proposal and the results of the feasibility study.  The remainder of the video (50 minutes) is a Q&A session with people asking various questions about the scheme.  The feasibility scheme has been funde dby the Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) with is administered in Lancashire by the Local Energy North West Hub.

Link to the webinar on Youtube

 

 

 

Welcome to our New Rewilding Officer

Posted on Posted in Growing Together, News, Rewilding Hyndburn's Green Spaces

Meet Gareth Muir, our new Rewilding Officer. Gareth comes to us from TCV in Leeds and has a wealth of experience working with local communities on food growing and other conservation projects.

Gareth will initially be concentrating on setting up our ‘Growing Together 2021’ programme whereby we’ll be sending out home food growing packs to Hyndburn residents. You may remember last year’s Growing Together initiative was a partnership project involving many local partners including PROSPECTS, Hyndburn Borough Council, Idle Women, the Hyndburn Hub and others and involved lots and lots of volunteer support. GT 2020 proved very popular, with over 600 people taking part and we’re happy to say that we’ve managed to obtain funding to run it again in 2021.

Gareth is already busy sorting out the pack contents, ordering seeds, putting together publicity and growing instructions and making contacts etc ready for distribution by the end of February! You may have already seen posts on our social media pages advertising the new programme .

So, if you would like to pre-book your growing pack, please contact Gareth at gareth.muir@prospectsfoundation.org.uk

Please e-mail leaving your name, address (for delivery), contact number and e-mail so we can get in touch.

    

The post is funded by the Hyndburn Windfall Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund through their Covid-19 Community Led Organisations Recovery Scheme, which is being administered by Power to Change

Prospects looking good for Lancashire’s biggest community renewable energy scheme

Posted on Posted in News

Prospects is pleased to announce that we are developing the biggest community renewable energy scheme in Lancashire.

More information and webinar details are available by clicking this LINK.

The feasibility work is currently underway and is being funded by the Rural Community Energy Fund which is hosted by the Local Energy North West Hub.

In order that people can hear more about the proposal, we’re hosting a ZOOM webinar at 7.30pm on Thursday 11th February at which representatives from Prospects and Sharenergy will be available to update and answer questions on the scheme.

If you would like to attend the webinar please book a place by e-mailing info@prospectsfoundation.org.uk leaving your name, address and e-mail address.  We will then send you the ZOOM link closer to the event.

A recording of the webinar will be available on our website after the event for those that cannot make it.

 

 

New Green Mentor in Post

Posted on Posted in Green Mentor, News

We’re happy to announce that Joel Henderson has joined the Prospects Team and will be our Green Mentor Project Officer.

This programme is kindly funded by The Ernest Cook Trust and will run for 2-years until the end of January 2023.

Joel will be working for 2.5 days per week and will be working with local schools to engage 10-14 year olds in Hyndburn and inspire them to influence their peers to take part in social action that protects our environment.

If you think your school would like to take part please contact Joel by e-mail at joel.henderson@prospectsfoundation.org.uk or phone the Prospects office on 01254-230348

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