Welcome to the January 2016 South West Peak Newsletter

Hope you like our refreshed logo (left)

During 2015

Having bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Landscape Partnership Scheme in May 2014, and gained permission to start at the end of November 2014, the partnership continued to work together to build momentum in the South West Peak during 2015:

Content was added to the website, Facebook page and Twitter feed

We had a two-page spread in the March edition of ParkLife magazine featuring an interview with Sheila Hine and the Landscape at a Crossroads poem (penned by yours truly).

We were featured in the Summer edition of Biodiversity News published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). 

Three community roadshows held in Wildboarclough, Warslow and Kettleshulme – read the report here

Nearly 500 visitor surveys were completed at the Roaches, Macclesfield Forest, Derbyshire Bridge, Hulme End and Blaze Farm.

12 farmers were interviewed for the oral history book ‘Peak Land Lives’ and 30 farmers were interviewed to help with developing the ‘Future Farmscapes’ project plan – summary report coming to the website soon.

‘Have your Say’ community e-survey launched – still time to tell us what you think here

Partners got stuck in to developing a set of 17 projects from grassland restoration and considering what to do with cut rushes to restoring derelict field barns; and from training of apprentices to access for people with health difficulties.

Partners took part in workshops on Ecosystem Services (the benefits which we get from the natural world) & the Ecosystem Approach (an integrated approach combining understanding nature, valuing nature and involving people) and on climate change adaptation.

Natural Capital Solutions and JBA Consulting were contracted to complete landscape opportunity & ecosystem services mapping and flood risk catchment modelling respectively, thanks to additional funding from the Environment Agency.  The outputs from these pieces of work will help inform the locations for capital work in the delivery phase.

A monitoring & evaluation working group started working on a monitoring & evaluation framework for the LPS so we can measure the benefits of the work we will do in the delivery phase.

Partnership funding towards the development phase was kindly provided by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, the Environment Agency, the RSPB and the National Park.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has shown they are happy with our progress by paying quarterly claims and by giving their seal of approval at a mid-term review meeting. 

The new chair of HLF, Sir Peter Luff, visited us in September as part of a training day to learn about Landscape Partnerships, he then met with staff of the longer established Moors for the Future Partnership in Edale.

A funding working group started looking at opportunities for corporate sponsorship and grant funding to match funds from HLF.

An expression of interest was put in to the NFU Mutual for funding towards the apprenticeship project.

Two new supporting partners signed up – Cheshire East Council and the National Trust at Lyme Park.

Additional organisations who have been working with us on project development and advice include Reaseheath College, Accessible Derbyshire, Lake District National Park, Cooperative College.

Coming up in 2016

Recently appointed consultants TellTale and Creeping Toad are now working on an interpretation plan for the partnership focusing on developing shared messages across the partners and interpretation plans for three sites – the Roaches, the Goyt Valley and the Warslow Moors Estate.  Watch out for opportunities to get involved in storying workshops.

We were approach by Countryfile about filming in the Staffordshire Moorlands in February; they are currently considering options and were really interested to hear about upcoming projects and opportunities to feature the forgotten part of the Peak District.

We will be holding a workshop to look at and comment on the outputs of the landscape opportunity & ecosystem services mapping and flood risk catchment modelling work on 18^th February.

A draft partnership agreement will be circulated very soon for agreement amongst partners.

Two more Board meetings are scheduled for 24^th February and 18^th April.  Project Buddies from the Board will be supporting project partners to knock their project plans into shape.  Final draft for the 24^th February and finished project plan for 18^th April.

The deadline for submission of the round 2 bid to HLF together with the Landscape Conservation Action Plan containing all the detailed project plans, supporting documents, photographs, maps, budgets, funding strategy, monitoring & evaluation framework, job descriptions, consultant briefs etc is 22^nd July.

HLF West Midlands regional committee will meet on 22^nd November to decide on our round 2 submission.

Phew!

Karen Shelley-Jones
South West Peak Landscape Partnership Development Officer
Peak District National Park Authority
01629 816269
Karen.Shelley-Jones@peakdistrict.gov.uk
www.southwestpeak.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/swpeak

https://twitter.com/SouthWestPeak