Registered Charity 1182600
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Bythams Woodland Trust – The Spinney
New funding has been approved for The Spinney in Little Bytham, Lincolnshire.
Thanks to a £99,988 grant from FCC Communities Foundation and a further £60,000 received from the UK Government through the Shared Prosperity Fund ,managed locally by South Kesteven District Council, the monies will be used to fund a major renovation of the play equipment on the site as part of the 20th birthday celebrations of The Spinney.
The Bythams Woodland Trust (BWT), the voluntary Charity which owns and manages the site will be installing a new 5m spacenet, replacing its 25m zip-wire, building some new swing sets and upgrading the wibbly-wobbly bridge, creating a new look-out castle tower and walkway.
Dr Patrick Candler, Chairman of the BWT, believes the upgraded facilities will make a huge difference to the lives of people living in the area. He says: “This project will provide a real boost to the people – children and adults – who come to visit from all over of South Kesteven. We have been providing great play opportunities for local people in a wonderful, magical woodland setting, But after 20 years, the equipment needs to be replaced and it’s fantastic that FCC Communities Foundation and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, managed locally by South Kesteven District Council, have awarded us this money. We’re really looking forward to our unique woodland and nature play ground taking shape over the next three months. We hope that all works can be completed before Christmas 2023!
FCC Communities Foundation is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community projects through the Landfill Communities Fund. Penny Horne, FCC Communities Foundation Spokesperson says: “We’re delighted to be supporting the new play facilities at The Spinney and pleased our funding will provide such a fantastic facility for children and young families across Grantham. FCC Communities Foundation is always happy to consider grant applications for projects that make a difference to local communities and we’re really looking forward to seeing this one take shape soon.”
South Kesteven District’s allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is managed by South Kesteven District Council. Chairman of the Council’s SPF Board, Cllr Philip Knowles, said: “We are pleased to see so many of these projects getting a helping hand thanks to the South Kesteven Prosperity Fund.
“The Council has been able to assist a wide variety of projects and community groups and we are happy to assess new bids from right across the district, as long as the idea responds to a local need, benefits the community, and can be completed within the required timeframe.There aren’t any fixed deadlines to apply, because we look at them on a rolling basis until the annual allocation of funding is committed.”
SKDC has over £0.5m still available to allocate to local groups that meet the Government’s criteria for distribution of funds. Details of how to apply can be found online: www.southkesteven.gov.uk/SPFgrants
Ends
Notes for Editors
Media information: for further press information please contact Dr Patrick Candler, Chairman of the BWT, on 07876 806646 or candlershome@btinternet.com
- The Bythams Woodland Trust has been managing The Spinney since 2003. We are a registered charity and all work on site is carried out by volunteers. We work very closely with local community organisations in the Glenside area, including the Bythams Primary School. In addition to the Spinney woodland site of 6.4 acres, we also manage the Meadow, an organic wildflower haven for nature.
- FCC Communities Foundation is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community, conservation and heritage projects from funds donated by FCC Environment through the Landfill Communities Fund and Scottish Landfill Communities Fund. Since 1998, FCC Communities Foundation has granted over £200m to more than 7,000 projects which benefit people living within 10 miles of a FCC Environment landfill site. For more information please visit www.fcccommunitiesfoundation.org.uk
- FCC Environment is the leading UK waste and resource management company and is part of a global group with a strong heritage in providing services for communities and business. Its vision is to be the environmental company of choice, delivering change for a sustainable future. It employs 2,400 people and operates more than 200 facilities across England, Scotland and Wales. FCC Environment donates the landfill tax credits that are generated by its operations to FCC Communities Foundation, in order to add value to the environmental and social infrastructure of the communities around landfill sites. www.fccenvironment.co.uk
- The Landfill Communities Fund and Scottish Landfill Communities Fund – any waste that is discarded which cannot be reused, reprocessed or recycled may ultimately be disposed of in a landfill site. To encourage the re-use, recycle and recovery of more value from waste and use more environmentally friendly methods of waste disposal, Landfill Tax is charged on each tonne of waste sent to landfill. Landfill Operators (LOs) are able to redirect a small proportion of landfill tax liability to support a wide range of community and environmental projects in the vicinity of landfill sites through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) and Scottish Landfill Communities Fund (SLCF). The LCF is regulated by ENTRUST on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs, and the projects are delivered by enrolled Environmental bodies (EBs). The SLCF is regulated by SEPA on behalf of Revenue Scotland and projects are delivered by Approved Bodies (ABs).
- South Kesteven District Council – The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
For more information, visit UK Shared Prosperity Fund: prospectus – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)’