Funding that we have granted has helped a rural business expand its operation with a new nature trail which is opening this Sunday, 6 April, for visitors to enjoy.
Buzzards Valley Vineyard on the Canwell Estate received a £5,839 grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund grant after LDC secured £200,000 from central Government.
The business, which includes six fishing lakes and a shop selling food and drink, has used the money to deliver a free nature trail aimed at ‘bringing nature to life through all the senses’.
There is lots to explore including a bird and bug nature trail, a sensory path, a den building area and pollinators garden.
The nature trail is open from 10am to 3pm and everyone is welcome.
Jayne Dale, of Buzzards Valley, said:
“The UK Shared Prosperity Fund rural funding has been vital to helping us create this project. It has paid for plants, materials and thousands of seeds for our new pollinators garden and sensory path together with a map board and information boards, a seed library and ironwork models of the wildlife at Buzzards Valley.
“The grant has also funded new leaflets with maps that visitors can carry as they explore and two water resistant shelters. One of these can be hired by wellbeing groups for outdoor yoga, tai chi, sound baths and meditation while the other is situated in our woodland and they can both double as outside classrooms for schools to hire when they visit the site.
“We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Lichfield District Council for this grant which has enabled us to further enhance our facilities here at Buzzards Valley.”
A spokesperson for Lichfield District Council said:
“We are delighted that we have been able to deliver a Rural England Prosperity Fund grant to Buzzards Valley. The money has helped the business diversify further with a fantastic nature trail for visitors.
“The full allocation of £200,000 has been granted to a total of eight projects to support the growth of farming businesses and the creation of new, or improvement of existing rural hospitality venues. It’s great to be able to support brilliant small local businesses.”
Buzzards Valley, at Shirrall Drive, Drayton Bassett, is located on a 60-acre site in Canwell Valley and also features an artisan shop, a flower wholesale business Excelsior Wholesale, Ex Showhome Furniture, Kiki’s Bistro Ltd, RMD Flooring, Lichfield Garden Buildings and a spiritual retreat centre, Shaman’s Rest.
The Buzzards Valley Nature Trail is free to visit and is, from Sunday, open 7 days a week from 10am to 3pm. The facility is dog-friendly though Buzzards Valley requests that any dogs attending are kept on leads.
For more information visit www.buzzards-valley.co.uk.