Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty handed £38k grant

The fund has been secured through a ‘Resilient Heritage’ grant.

Thanks to National Lottery players, this will enable the new Shropshire Hills AONB Trust and AONB Partnership to build capacity to conserve and enhance the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty into the future.

Anthony Morgan, chairman of the AONB trust, said: “As a new charitable trust, this funding is vital to help us develop collaborative working with the AONB partnership.

"Our focus is on recruiting many more Friends of the Shropshire Hills and generating more income to spend on conservation projects that help community groups to protect our wonderful landscape."

This two-year project will develop these complementary organisations and their collaborative working.

Activities include preparation of business plans, training and development for staff and volunteers, and enhanced communication and public engagement.

A programme of income-generation activities includes a public appeal, business engagement, a legacy scheme and trading.

James Williamson, chairman of the Shropshire Hills AONB partnership said: “Working together we will be better able to meet the challenges faced by our special landscape, and help us deliver long term benefits for people who live and work in the AONB, and those who visit it.”

For more information on the Shropshire Hills AONB Trust and AONB Partnership, see shropshirehillsaonb.co.uk