Bare fields will be spruced up (From Barry And District News)

Bare fields will be spruced up

A DONATION of 21,000 has kick-started a project which will provide an open space for the surrounding community.

The grant from npower is funded through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. It will be used by the Woodland Trust at Porthkerry Country Park, which is in the same district as npower's Aberthaw Power Station.

This money will help to create 40 acres of native woodland and open space and will also improve the bio-diversity value of the area by contributing to valuable habitat creation.

Woodland Trust regional manager Ben Earl said: "The Woodland Trust is delighted to be working with npower on this very exciting community project, with benefits both for the local environment and local community.

"This fantastic boost to the fundraising means that we can now move to the next stage of the campaign to design the new woodland."

Porthkerry Country Park is a popular community resource owned and managed by the Vale of Glamorgan local authority. The project will also form part of the Trust's new Tree for All campaign.

Through Tree for All, the Trust aims to plant 12 million trees, one for each child in the UK, with the active involvement of at least one million children.

Designed to involve large numbers of the local community, this site will be a focus for primarily children to plant a tree, with the resulting woodland being managed under the existing country park management structure.

Tamsyn Reynolds, environment manager from npower, said: "We're really pleased to fund this exciting project, which will transform a number of bare fields into a wonderful resource.

"This will be a great amenity to be used by residents in the Vale of Glamorgan and has the added value of enhancing local bio-diversity."

Readers can help, too.

Following a consultation meeting to introduce the Porthkerry Community Woodland Project to residents, the Barry and District News is helping to launch a public appeal.

The project seeks to plant up a significant area of the country park with native trees - and in doing so involve large numbers of Barry residents, primarily children.

They now need to fund a projected shortfall on the overall project costs of 69,000.

This shortfall stands at 10,000 - and the Trust needs to raise this soon to enable the project to proceed.

Simply fill in as generous a pledge as you can manage and send it to: The Woodland Trust, Unit B, Station Building, Llanidloes, Powys SY18 6EB.

If you can help raise money through a pub quiz, raffle or sponsored event. then contact the Barry and District News and we will publicise your event.