Arundel centre boosted by £175k lottery payout

A CONSERVATION centre in Arundel is in line to share a slice of £175,000 after a donation by the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Wildfowl & Wetlands Trusts chief executive Martin Spray accepted a cheque for £175,000 SUS-150114-124927001Wildfowl & Wetlands Trusts chief executive Martin Spray accepted a cheque for £175,000 SUS-150114-124927001
Wildfowl & Wetlands Trusts chief executive Martin Spray accepted a cheque for £175,000 SUS-150114-124927001

The Arundel Wetland Centre is run by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust – which this month received a significant cash injection from the lottery.

The wetland centre, in Mill Road, will be using a portion of this money to fund vital improvements to one of its raised ponds.

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The cheque was presented by the People’s Postcode Lottery to the trust’s chief executive, Martin Spray.

He said: “The trust’s ethos starts with the simple act of feeding a duck.

“That connection with nature is more special if you’re feeding the world’s rarest goose, saved from extinction by our experts.

“It’s even more special when you’re surrounded by some of the UK’s top wildlife at one of our world-class wetland centres, carefully designed and managed so wildlife will flourish.

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“Support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery will ensure that the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust goes from strength to strength this year, by making our wetland centres even better for wildlife, and helping even more people make that special connection with nature.”

Arundel is one of three projects set to benefit from the windfall.

The cash will be used to pay for the £14,000 enhancement to its raised pond, which is a popular attraction for schoolchildren visiting the centre.

The aim is to increase the side of the pond to 50 centimetres, which would make it easier for youngsters in wheelchairs to access the water and see the life teeming within its depths.

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The facility offers the centre’s much-loved pond dipping program, which teaches children about nature’s adaptations, how the food chain works and how to identify some of the watery creepy crawlies within.

Pat Warren, spokeswoman for the Arundel site, said the news of the grant cash donation was very exciting.

She added that the small raised pond was leaking, so it would be great to address this.

Work should begin on the new facility in March, with a completion date scheduled for summer this year.

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Mr Spray added: “We’re incredibly grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for this opportunity and we hope to welcome many of them to our wetland centres throughout 2015.”

Other sites to benefit from the cash injection include the centre in London, which will use some of the money to get a facelift and the expansion of the Back from the Brink scheme at the Slimbridge Wetland Centre, in Gloucestershire.

Clara Govier, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “I am delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are able to support that great work carried out by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.

“Support from players will ensure the improvement in reserves and ensure that even more people learn about wetland wildlife. This funding marks a great start to 2015 for the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.”

The trust was founded in 1946 by the late Sir Peter Scot.

Now, the organisation is responsible for a total of nine wetland centres across the UK.