The Sanctuary Project
Have your say!
We’re asking local residents, families, schools, community groups, volunteers and visitors to share their views on an exciting community project.
For a long time, local residents have told us that they would love somewhere within the woodland where they can escape the pressures of everyday life, spend time in nature, learn new skills and connect with other people.
We are seeking funding to create a Community Woodland – a small, enclosed area within the woodland that would provide a dedicated base for outdoor learning, community activities, volunteering and nature-based wellbeing.
The wider woodland will remain open and accessible to everyone. This project would allow us to provide facilities that aren’t currently possible in an open-access woodland, including a woodland shelter, fire pit, secure storage, natural play, wildlife conservation and food-growing areas, and spaces for learning, wellbeing and community activities.
We want this project to reflect what the local community actually needs.
Your views will help shape the design and activities and will also provide important evidence of community support for our funding application.
Please take a few minutes to complete our survey. Here.
Our other local green spaces are already important natural spaces for our community, but delivering structured activities within open-access woodlands creates practical challenges.
The Sanctuary Project will create a secure but welcoming space where facilities and equipment can be safely stored and activities can take place throughout the year with the helpful addition of a shelter and fire pit with seating.
The area will be open to the community during the day but secured at night to protect the facilities from vandalism and theft.
What will the Community Woodland look like?
Next to Billy’s Lake woodland and Borrows Field is an approximately 2 acre area of scrub and woodland that has an old fence line. We are proposing an area that works with the existing landscape rather than trying to change it.
The plans include:
•An all-weather steel-frame and canvas woodland shelter
•Accessible compost toilet
•Woodland seating and a fire circle
•Hammocks and tree swings
•Accessible pathways
•Food and herb growing areas
•Fruit trees and willow planting
•A bird hide
•Bird, bat and owl boxes
•Log-pile wildlife habitats
•Areas for nature observation and environmental education
•Storage for tools and equipment
The design has been developed to retain and enhance the existing natural environment. A biodiversity and habitat survey by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has helped identify opportunities for habitat improvements, planting and wildlife conservation. The recommendations will help guide how the site is developed and managed.
We are looking for opportunities to work with local organisations, schools, businesses, volunteers and residents who would like to help us develop and use the space.
If you would like to get involved, support the project or find out more, please get in touch with the Acorn Centre.