Wildfowling Conference 2013
Trustees would like to thank all participants at this year’s Wildfowling Conference who helped to raise a total of £2157.00 towards the WHT trust funds.
This included £1292.00 from the Annual WHT Auction and £607.00 from the Raffle all of which will go towards the funds for future land purchase. All contributions and continued support are very much appreciated by all concerned.
Wildlife Habitat Trust makes largest ever land purchase loan.
The largest loan ever made by the Wildlife Habitat Trust has been received by the Rockland Wildfowlers Association for land purchase.
The £217,000 loan will go towards the purchase of 58.9 acres at Loades Marsh, Rockland St Mary, Norfolk.
Kevin Tipple, club land secretary of the Rockland Wildfowlers said: “The purchase of land around Rockland Broad achieves an ambition which the club has held since it was formed in 1985 and secures the future of the land for shooting and conservation. The WHT has again helped us and its support is crucial to our goal of securing land by ownership. The club bought its first land in 2008, with help from the WHT and the Dee Wildfowlers and Wetlands Management Club; it has raised funds in different ways from online auction to sale of prints and badges. The WHT has continued to support the club’s work and we appreciate their interest and involvement.”
Tim Russell WHT secretary and director of conservation at BASC said: “The Wildlife Habitat Trust is pleased to be able to make this loan to Rockland Wildfowlers. The purchase of land at Loades Marsh is important for wildlife habitat preservation and Rockland Wildfowlers will actively manage land for shooting and conservation.”
The WHT was set up by the UK’s largest shooting organisation, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC). To date, the WHT has provided £1,338,774 to conservation projects.
For more information on the club or membership please go to the club’s website: www.rocklandwa.co.uk.
For more information please contact the BASC press office on 01244 573031
Frodsham & District Wildfowlers Club receives £25,000 WHT loan for Land Purchase
A £25,000 loan from the Wildlife Habitat Trust has enabled Frodsham & District Wildfowlers to buy out a farmer’s tenancy on 89 acres of land on the Mersey Estuary which they acquired in 2002 as part of a larger parcel of 180 acres.
Frodsham & District Wildfowlers Club Ltd have been shooting on Frodsham Marshes since 1938. The 89 acre site is being farmed by the original tenant until the end of September and is due to enter stewardship on the 1st October 2013 when the club are aiming to create new hedgerows, fencing and scrapes.
Tim Russell, Secretary of the WHT and Director of Conservation at BASC said:
“I am delighted that Frodsham and District Wildfowlers have had the opportunity to secure these additional rights, their purchase will in future give them much greater management influence. The WHT continues to keep its lending terms competitive and Trustees are always looking for ways to help clubs buy land for shooting and conservation”.
For more information about club membership contact Grant Evans on 01925 730496 or membership@frodshamwildfowlers.co.uk
For more information on the WHT, visit www.wht.org.uk or phone 01244 573024/ 573014.
WHT Special Offer
Unique opportunity to purchase selected unframed prints from the WHT collection at £20.00 inc. p&p.
Click here to view the print collection and to buy online
or telephone 01244 573 014
2012 Wildlife Habitat Trust Conservation Stamp
To see Charles Lawson, the film and television actor launch the 2012 WHT stamp watch the film below.
The 2012 Stamp features ‘Teal on the Medway’ by well known wildlife artist Simon Trinder
To buy WHT stamps and prints go to the WHT Shop. All money raised by the WHT is used to protect land for shooting and conservation.
Trustees review the terms for loans
Trustees have reviewed the terms for loans and changes include an increase to 70% of the loan to value rate and loans up to a maximum of 15 years. This will have two important benefits for clubs buying land: the higher loan to value rate will make it easier to find the deposit and the longer loan period will make cash flow much easier.
For more information visit the Applications page.
Mattersey Rifle & Pistol Club receives £150,000 WHT loan to buy land
A Nottinghamshire rifle and pistol club has been given a loan of £150,000 from the Wildlife Habitat Trust (WHT). The loan is the largest to be given out by the WHT and the first to be given to a club which is not directly connected to wildfowling.
The WHT was set up by the UK’s largest shooting organisation, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC).
The loan has been used by the Mattersey Rifle & Pistol Club to buy 43.5 acres of disused quarry. Three and a half acres will be developed into rifle ranges and the rest will remain as mixed woodland and ponds. Club members intend to work with the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust to manage and restore the woodland.
The cash will also help the club, which is based near Blyth, to develop the site to promote the existing rifle range facilities and to develop deer stalking courses, host Young Shots events and develop other target shooting opportunities.
Tim Russell, secretary of the WHT and director of conservation at BASC, said: “I am delighted that the WHT has been able to help secure this site for shooting and conservation. When I visited the site it quickly became clear how important the mixed habitats of wetland, woodland and sand cliffs are for wildlife. The sand cliffs provide nesting for a large colony of sand martins as well as shelduck. We are pleased that the WHT has been able to help a club focusing on a discipline other than wildfowling and I look forward to seeing how the site develops in the coming years.”
Brendan Price, chairman of the Mattersey Rifle & Pistol Club, said: “The support we have received from the WHT and BASC has been outstanding at all stages of the process and we are extremely pleased to be associated with such a professional and helpful organisation. As well as improving habitats, BASC is also helping us to improve our shooting range facilities.”
For more information on the club, contact Stan Thomas on 01302 327566 or Dave Hinchliff on 07927 936133.
For more information on the WHT, visit www.wht.org.uk or phone 01244 573024.
WHT celebrates 25 years with new film
The 25th anniversary of the Wildlife Habitat Trust (WHT) has been marked with the release of a film on DVD and online.
The film shows footage of clubs which have benefited from WHT loans in Gloucestershire, Kent, the Norfolk Broads, north west Wales, Northern Ireland and the Solway Firth in Scotland.
The WHT was created by the UK’s largest shooting organisation, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), at the request of wildfowling members. Its aim was to provide a fund to allow wildfowling clubs to buy land for shooting and conservation.
The WHT has made more than £1.16 million for loans and grants available over the last 25 years, helping wildfowling clubs to buy nearly 4,000 acres of land.
More than £60,000 has been given to projects in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus and Turkey to help manage important wetland habitats used by birds on migration to the UK.
Tim Russell, BASC’s director of conservation and secretary of the WHT, said: “The work of the WHT remains just as important today as it was 25 years ago. Trustees give their time freely so as much money as possible goes directly into shooting and conservation. We look forward to helping even more clubs to purchase more land over the coming years.”
Alan Jarrett, WHT trustee and chairman of the Kent Wildfowling and Conservation Association, said: “Over the last 25 years the WHT has been an important source of funds for wildfowling clubs and as such has helped to ensure that wildfowling throughout the UK continues to thrive. There is no doubt that without the work of the WHT wildfowling would be in a poorer state today. We are currently in a difficult and competitive land market, but the WHT stands ready to help protect the sport of wildfowling for future generations to enjoy.”
Wildlife Habitat Trust 2011 Stamp launched
The 2011 stamp is the twenty-first in the series and depicts ‘Greylag on Orkney. This eye-catching piece of original artwork has been painted by renowned wildlife artist, Terence Lambert. Terence has been involved with the Wildlife Habitat Trust for many years, having been commissioned to paint the 1994 stamp artwork also, ‘Mallard on the Dyfi.’
Adam Henson, famous for his weekly commentary and seasonal updates on ‘Adam’s Farm’ part of BBC’s Country File on a Sunday evening, launched the new stamp at on Saturday 23rd July.
Visitors were invited to the WHT stand where they were able to purchase stamps, badges and limited edition prints, and watch Terence Lambert and Julian Novorol a previous stamp artist at work during the 3 days of the fair.
Alan Jarrett’s new book “Under Living Skies” was available to purchase on the stand, with Alan signing books upon request. Alan generously donated £5 to the WHT for each book sold at the fair.
A film of the stamp launch can be viewed below.
