THE Fox Corner Community Wildlife Area Association needs your help to fund the replacement of a boardwalk and dipping platform at the 14-acre site.
An ongoing appeal is more than halfway towards its £28,000 target, but the association requires further financial assistance for the work to begin as hoped in August.
Catherine Cobley, chairman of the Fox Corner Community Wildlife Area Association, said: “We are well on our way to reaching our target of £28,000.
“We’ve been so moved by the generosity and the response from local residents and charities in just a few months since the appeal opened.
“However, we still have a way to go. We are hoping to start work on the new boardwalk and dipping platform in August, but need to raise a bit more money so that we can purchase the materials and complete the work.
“This will ensure the area remains a special place for visitors and will continue to provide a rich and safe environment for all.”
In addition to some £7,000 in donations, the association’s website records that The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded £9,900 towards the replacement project.
The wildlife area has many assets, including a pond and dipping platform, boardwalk and streams, wetlands, woodlands and meadows. The site is a nature reserve, providing a diverse environment for many different species.
It is home to a variety of native trees, hedgerows, flowers, birds, insects and mammals, and is a “hidden gem”, a special place in the heart of the local community, open to everyone.
A key part of the wildlife area, the dipping platform and boardwalk, which link the pond to the brooks beyond the wetland area, are in urgent need of replacement.
The materials used for the new dipping platform and boardwalk will be recycled composite materials, which should last for many decades.
All donations, however large or small, will be gratefully received by the association.
FOR more details about the project or to donate, visit www.foxcornerwildlife.org.uk. The website also has more information about the wildlife area.