Wildwood's horses roaming free in Wales

Wildwood's horses roaming free in Wales

Wildwood, Kent's unique wildlife park and conservation charity is proud to announce yet another transfer of Konik horses, this time going to roam in Mid Wales.

The horses have gone to Wildernest; a green tourism and environmental education project run by husband & wife Hugh and Jude Crawford in the beautiful Aeron Valley, Wales. In their new home the horses will live wild and improve the wetland habitat through natural grazing.

This latest transfer, one of many carried out by Wildwood, is another triumph as we strive to improve conditions for wildlife throughout the UK through conservation grazing.

Konik horses are extremely hardy and live well on wetlands eating weeds, reeds and grass whilst boosting biodiversity through light grazing and natural fertilisation. This keeps the land open and encourages more plants, invertebrates and birds to settle in the area. Over the years, Wildwood has bred and distributed hundreds of Konik horses to similar habitats around the UK where they continue to improve conditions for wildlife in a natural and sustainable way.

Wildwood's Chief Executive Peter Smith said "We are delighted to be working with the Wildernest project. The horses are the ideal conservation management tool and will boost the area's biodiversity whilst providing a valuable resource for 'green tourism' and people learning about ecological restoration. We are sure that the horses will be very happy there and will do wonders for the habitat."

Konik horses are just one of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood, near Canterbury, off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury. For more information visit our website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 01227 712111

********ends**************

Picture attached of our wild horses enjoying their new surrounding as the Wildernest centre

For more information on Wildwood, Konik Horses or Wildwood's Conservation programmes, contact Fiona Paterson or Peter Smith

e-mail:   

fiona@wildwoodtrust.org

peter@wildwoodtrust.org

Tel:          01227 712 111

www.wildwoodtrust.org

Peter Smith
Chief Executive
Wildwood Trust

Herne Common

Herne Bay

Kent

CT6 7LQ
Registered charity no 1093702

Further information on Konik Horses

Wildwood Trust & Kent Wildlife Trust pioneered the re-introduction of these amazing animals to the UK in 2002. The two Kent based nature conservation charities brought the first ever of their breed to arrive in southern England and these horses and their offspring have been helping to restore some of the most precious national nature reserves across the UK.

The Konik horse is the closest living relative of the extinct Tarpan, the wild forest horse that roamed Britain in prehistoric times. The horses are the last descendants of the true wild horse of Britain and Europe and have survived centuries of persecution and even squads of Nazis sent to kidnap them for genetic experiments.

Konik horses show numerous primitive features, associated with their ancestor, the Tarpan. They are resistant to harsh climates and severe weather conditions, hence their extensive range. They are very fertile and can produce numerous offspring in their lifetime. As they are adapted to foraging in the wild, they can live on a limited amount of food and have an extremely resilient immune system. They are very intelligent, allowing them to adapt their diet according to season and food availability. Konik horses do not require horseshoes as their hooves are naturally self-trimming, breaking off as they become too long.

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Easter holiday fun at Wildwood!

 

Easter Holiday fun at Wildwood!

We have lots going on at Wildwood this Easter holiday - from Easter crafts to cute chicks and bunnies!

Easter holiday: 5th - 21st April

To book any event call: 01227 712 111
*Please note that membership or entry fees must be paid for all events unless stated otherwise.

 

Daily during holidays (5th - 21st April) - FREE talks & Feeds
Come along and see our animals being fed around the park every day during the holidays!

Monday 7th April - Fun Food!
Make spring-themed yummy treats to gobble up or take home to give as Easter gifts.?Uses standard food cupboard ingredients. Please check at the time of booking if you or your children have any food allergies.
2pm - 3pm. £2 per person*, one person free per group. Must book.

Tuesday 8th April - All Creatures Great & Small
Meet some of our friendliest animals and make animal-themed crafts to celebrate spring!
2pm - 3pm. £2 per person*, one person free per group. Must book.

Wednesday 9th April - Bunny Bonanza
Meet some of our bunnies, make them some toys and make bunny crafts to take home.
2pm - 3pm. £2 per person*, one person free per group. Must book.

Wednesday 9th April - Nocturnal Animals workshop
A special children's workshop to introduce Year 2 children to the lives of nocturnal animals. Followed by Cumberland sausage baps and a 1hr night walk to experience the darkness, just like a nocturnal animal.
6.30pm - 9pm. £15 for one child + adult. For Yr 2 children only. Must book. Please note that this event does not attract membership or entry fees.
 
Thursday 10th April - Cute Chicks
Meet some chicks and chickens and make  Easter chick-themed crafts to take home.
2pm - 3pm. £2 per person*, one person free per group. Must book.

Friday 11th April - Bloomin' Marvellous Crafts
Celebrate the return of spring blooms with flower- themed crafts to take home.
2pm - 3pm. £2 per person*, one person free per group. Must book.

Saturday 12th April - Animal Drawing Skills
Are you interested in both art and animals? Come along to Wildwood and use our inspirational animals and surroundings to develop your drawing skills! The course will provide a broad introduction to the basics of zoological anatomy and illustration, as well as tips on drawing an animated (and usually unpredictable!) subject. You will have the opportunity to explore Wildwood and draw your favourite animals from life, as well as meeting one of our beautiful tame tawny owls. Suitable for all levels and abilities.
10.00am – 2.30pm. £30 per person. Min age 12yrs, all under 16's must be accompanied by a paying adult. Does not attract membership or entry fees.
Please book with Suzanne Kynaston on 01227 711 471 or email courses@wildwoodtrust.org

Monday 14th April - Easter Baskets
Make your own animal / egg shaped baskets to take home and fill with Easter treats!
2pm - 3pm. £2 per person*, one person free per group. Must book.

Tuesday 15th April -Easter Bonnets
Make and decorate your own Easter Bonnet with prizes for the most imaginative!
2pm - 3pm. £2 per person*, one person free per group. Must book.

Wednesday 16th April - Eggsperiment!
Egg-citing experiments using eggs and egg-themed crafts to take home.
2pm - 3pm. £2 per person*, one person free per group. Must book.

Thursday 17th April - Easter Extravaganza!
Dress in an Easter themed outfit for an egg hunt, games, stories and an egg & spoon race.
2pm - 3pm. £2 per person*, one person free per group. Must book.

Saturday 26th April - Spring Foraging
In the days before supermarkets and worldwide imports, wild food foraged from the local countryside traditionally formed a large part of our diet. This one day course is an introduction on to how to forage safely, which easily recognisable plants are good to eat and how to cook and prepare them. We will go for a forage in a local wood, where you will learn to identify some common edible species, before returning  to cook and sample our fare. We will also learn about foraging safety and the law. Own transport will be required for an off-site visit.
10.00am – 4.00pm. £40 per person. Min age 18yrs. Does not attract membership or entry fees.
Please book with Suzanne Kynaston on 01227 711 471 or email courses@wildwoodtrust.org

Sunday 27th April - Snakes, Frogs & Bugs!
Meet some of our native reptiles and amphibians and learn about them from the experts.
11am - 3pm. Free event* Drop in any time.

Tuesday 29th April - Photo Day
A day of Wildlife photography with expert tuition from our resident photographer. Gift vouchers also available.
10am - 4.30pm. £79 per person. Min age 18yrs. Must book. Does not attract membership or entry fees.

 

To book any event call: 01227 712 111
*Please note that membership or entry fees must be paid for all events unless stated otherwise.

The Wildwood Team
Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 7LQ
Registered Charity no 1093702

New Job Vacancies at Wildwood

 

New Job vacancies at Wildwood

 We have new vacancies at Wildwood. For more details or to apply for these exciting positions, please visit our Jobs page: http://www.wildwoodtrust.org/recruitmentothervacancies.html

 

Seasonal Retail/Cafe Assistants

Function: To assist visitors to Wildwood in the Shop, Cafe and around the park during the busy spring/summer season.

Salary: National minimum wage.

We are looking for hard working, reliable and responsible people who are happy to work in all aspects of our operation during the busy spring/summer season.

Specifically:

• Serving customers in the Cafe
• Serving customers in the Shop
• Assisting customers around the park.
• General duties around the park.

The right person will be:

• Over 18yrs of age.
• Friendly and confident.
• Reliable
• Able to work during school holidays and weekends.

Successful candidates will be required to start as soon as possible.

To apply, please email Jon May, Park Manager, with your CV and covering letter detailing your experience and suitability: jon@wildwoodtrust.org 

 

 

 

Head of Marketing & Fundraising

Function: Management of Wildwood's marketing, fundraising, membership & databases, social networking, advertising & promotions

Salary: Competitive + pension & other benefits

Wildwood Trust is a charity dedicated to the conservation of British Wildlife and running the unique Wildwood Discovery Park.

We are looking for someone to manage our marketing & fundraising systems and lead our marketing team.

Specifically:

• Charity Marketing & Membership
• Development and management of the Trust's CRM system
• Fundraising
• Event management
• Public Relations

This exciting new position will be a key role within the organisation and will part of the senior management team. The post will require extensive fundraising and communication experience, charity marketing experience and a proven track record in delivering significant income generation from a variety of streams

For full details please visit our Jobs Page to download the job description: http://www.wildwoodtrust.org/recruitmentothervacancies.html

The closing date is 21st April 2014. Interviews will be held by arrangement within 2 weeks of that date. 

Wildwood Trust
Herne Common
Herne Bay
Kent
CT6 7LQ

Tel: 01227 712 111

Wildwood is a registered charity no. 1093702

 

Wildwood jumps for joy at new pathways funding

 

Wildwood Trust, Kent's unique British wildlife park and conservation charity is celebrating after being granted desperately needed funding to renovate and repair the park's woodland pathways that have been damaged by the appalling winter weather.

 

As a conservation charity, Wildwood is dedicated to educating people about British wildlife and wild spaces and uses its ancient woodland setting to achieve this goal, but working in the natural environment can be challenging; the heavy rain has resulted in many pathways around the park becoming severely waterlogged and muddy, making some areas almost unpassable without wellington boots.  

 

But help is at hand and the project has received £7067 funding from Viridor Credits Environmental Company, through the Landfill Communities Fund. This grant will enable Wildwood to repair the damaged areas and upgrade the paths around the woodland using recycled materials. The renovations will help Wildwood to withstand future adverse weather conditions and ensure that visitors can enjoy exploring the woodland all year round.

 

Jon May, Wildwood's Park General Manager, said 'We are very grateful to Viridor Credits for granting us funding to enable this vital project to go ahead, it will make an amazing difference to our visitor experience during the wet winter months'.

 

Work to repair the pathways will begin in the next couple of weeks, and will be carried out by the Wildwood Ranger team together with the help of volunteers from the local community.

 

*****Ends*****

Notes to Editors:

 

For more information on the project please contact Jess Walters, jess@wildwoodtrust.org, 01227 712 111.

 

About Viridor Credits

Viridor Credits Environmental Company distributes funds through the Landfill Communities Fund. Funding is available for community, heritage and environmental projects within a ten mile radius of an active Viridor landfill site. Since its inception Viridor Credits has allocated over £90 million to over 4500 projects across the UK.

 

For further information about how to apply for funding, please call Viridor Credits on 01823 476476.

 

About Wildwood
Wildwood is a unique wildlife park and conservation charity where you can see British Wildlife past and present, set in 40 acres of stunning ancient woodland. Wildwood offers its members and visitors a truly inspirational way to learn about the natural history of Britain by actually seeing the wildlife that once lived here, like the wolf, beaver, red squirrel, bison, elk, wild boar and many more. Our conservation projects include working to save red squirrels, hazel dormice, water voles as well as breeding pine martens, Scottish wildcats and beaver. Wildwood also actively promotes conservation grazing projects by donating herds of wild horses to act as natural habitat managers on nature reserves to improve biodiversity.

 

Wildwood Trust

Tel: 01227 712 111

 

www.wildwoodtrust.org

 

Herne Common, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 7LQ

Registered charity no 1093702

 

 

Beaver & rewilding are the answer to the UK's flooding problem

Beaver & rewilding are the answer to the UK's flooding problem

By Peter Smith, Chief Executive of the Wildwood Trust

"It took the death of school children in a catastrophic flood event to shock the Dutch authorities to really tackle flooding on the Rhine; one of their answers was to stop farming on floodplains and to create a giant natural wetland, managed by wild horses, to prevent this tragedy from happening again."

As rivers across the UK are bursting their banks, another media storm has broken over who is responsible for the cause of the UK's flooding problem. Many farmers have attacked the lack of drainage and flood defences along rivers while river scientists and ecological experts point to deeper problems in our river catchments, meaning the instalment of flood defences and dredging of rivers could end up in catastrophic flooding further downstream, a tragedy that could threaten human life."

Changes in farming and land use has resulted in a dramatic decrease in floodplains left along our rivers, so there is nowhere for the water to go. This, combined with a massive increase of drainage of farmland in river catchments, means water now gushes off land straight into the rivers.

One of the best and cheapest answers to address this problem is the reintroduction of natural wetland species such as European beaver and wild horses to the UK which would promote the natural restoration of nature's own flood defences; similar in many ways to initiatives currently run by the Wildwood Trust near Canterbury, but on a much larger scale.

The wetlands of Britain used to act as a giant sponge, soaking up rainfall and releasing it slowly into our rivers, protecting us from catastrophic flooding, but this natural defence has been all but wiped out.

In recent times we have spent an increasing amount of money to destroy our wetlands, to build and maintain a massive system of drains at the taxpayer's expense. The cruel irony is that 'flood defences' only make the problem worse further down the river. Planning has also encouraged the building of more and more housing on floodplains which then in turn need to be defended from inevitable flooding.

Successive Governments have channelled hundreds of millions of pounds of tax payers' money every year into agricultural subsidies and 'drainage' works that are directly responsible for the catastrophic flooding seen over the last few weeks.

Wildwood's five point plan to save the taxpayer money and prevent catastrophic flooding in our towns & villages:

• Rewild marginal farmland, uplands and floodplain. Just as many European countries have seen catastrophic flooding they have rewilded areas that act a giant sponges soaking up flood waters.
• Stop agricultural subsidy of marginal farmland so it can be returned to the wild & save the taxpayer billions of pounds.
• Return beavers to the UK and allow them to act as natural wetland managers (like wild horses do on conservation sites) to maintain our wetlands at no cost to taxpayers.
• Create natural wetland networks in urban areas to act as flood stores.
• Shift taxes off of earned incomes and onto Land Values and natural resources to make it economically feasible to revert marginal farmland back to natural areas.

 Peter Smith, Wildwood Trust Chief Executive said:

 "Along the Rhine in the  Netherlands and  Germany  they have already addressed this issue by  re-creating wetlands, while at the same time providing safety for homes and communities."

 "It took the death of school children in a catastrophic flood event to shock the Dutch authorities to really tackle flooding on the Rhine; one of their answers was to stop farming on floodplains and to create a giant natural wetland, managed by wild horses, to prevent this tragedy from happening again."

 "When will Britain wake up and see that we need to tackle the root cause of the flooding problem?  It's time we stopped the squabbling by selfish vested interests whose only real goals are to reap the benefits of ever more taxpayer investment or campaigning for flood waters to be rushed on further downstream to flood someone else's house."

 "We have created a perverse system of agricultural subsidies and drainage systems that guarantee we will see flooding getting worse, and that system is using taxpayers' money to destroy wildlife and the wild places that once formed our natural flood defence system."

 "With no wetlands, trees or undeveloped flood plains to stop this water, it rushes off fields into drainage systems, maintained at the taxpayers' expense, and is funnelled into rivers where it creates the devastating problems witnessed this winter."

 "We must stop wasting money on drainage schemes, agricultural subsidies and building on floodplains and instead spend far less taxpayers' money on re-establishing natural wetlands."

 "This can be achieved for a fraction of cost that taxpayers are already incurring, save us billions in the future and will create a carbon sink to help neutralise climate change and give our future generations a natural heritage to be proud of."

*********************END*********************

Images attached.

For more information Contact Fiona Paterson or Peter Smith

e-mail:  

fiona@wildwoodtrust.org

peter@wildwoodtrust.org

Tel:  01227 712 111

www.wildwoodtrust.org

Wildwood TrustHerne CommonHerne BayKentCT6 7LQ

Registered charity no 1093702

How European beaver can protect us from flooding:

Beavers were hunted to extinction in the UK in the 17th century for their pelts, their meat and their musk glands, which had medicinal properties.

Beavers can and do dramatically change the landscape. The beaver is a keystone species –their skills as foresters and engineers create and maintain ponds and wetlands that increase biodiversity, purify water and prevent large-scale flooding.

Scientists estimate that in America restoring only 3 percent of the original beaver created wetlands, might suffice to prevent catastrophic floods; the same could be true for the UK.

Scottish Natural Heritage's director of science, Colin Galbraith, said:

"More than 20 other countries, including France, Germany and Denmark have reintroduced beavers and the experience has been very positive. Beavers fit into the landscape very well and in places like Brittany they have become part of the environment, with minimal damage to agriculture and other interests.  Beaver dams would improve water quality, produce new habitats for fish and help reduce flooding downstream."

Wildwood launches new Summer Volunteering Programme

 

Wildwood Trust, Kent's unique British wildlife park and conservation charity is launching a new Education Volunteer Programme this summer to help more people to get in touch with nature and learn about our native wildlife.

Wildwood is already helped by volunteers who donate their time to work with our keeper and ranger teams and is now looking for the first time for people to assist in our highly successful Education department.

The Trust is looking to recruit a team of Public Education Volunteers to actively help members of the public to engage, interact and learn all about our wonderful British native species at Wildwood.

Our education volunteers will help the public around the park, provide information points and show animal artefacts to the public throughout their wildlife experience. We are looking for a team of volunteers who are passionate about British wildlife and want to help others learn more about our native animals and their conservation.

Successful candidates will be dedicated to volunteering at a wildlife charity and will receive training in public engagement, animal identification and the history of British wildlife and its conservation. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to handle animal artefacts and work behind the scenes at Wildwood.

Wildwood's Head of Education, Anne Riddell said: "We are so excited to be able to offer volunteer positions at Wildwood this summer. This is the ideal opportunity for people who are passionate about out native wildlife to gain valuable experience and help others to learn."

 We aim to have our volunteers ready and available for the start of the Easter holidays, Saturday 5th April 2014. We are able to train volunteers with the necessary skills and knowledge needed for the post.

We will hold an introductory day, to which all applicants will be invited. Afterwards applicants will be selected based on their potential and abilities for the role. Please not that as we are a small charity, only have a small number of volunteer positions available.

To apply, please email: education@wildwoodtrust.org for an application form.

All applications must be submitted by the 7^th February 2014.

********* end **********
Image attached.

For more information about the project, email: education@wildwodtrust.org or call 01227 712 111 to speak to the Education team.

 

Fiona Paterson

Wildwood Trust
Herne Common
Herne Bay
Kent
CT6 7LQ

Registered charity no. 1093702

Tel: 01227 712 111
email: fiona@wildwoodtrust.org

 

About Wildwood
Wildwood is a unique wildlife park and conservation charity where you can see British Wildlife past and present, set in 40 acres of stunning ancient woodland. Wildwood offers its members and visitors a truly inspirational way to learn about the natural history of Britain by actually seeing the wildlife that once lived here, like the wolf, beaver, red squirrel, bison, elk, wild boar and many more. Our conservation projects include working to save red squirrels, hazel dormice, water voles as well as breeding pine martens, Scottish wildcats and beaver. Wildwood also actively promotes conservation grazing projects by donating herds of wild horses to act as natural habitat managers on nature reserves to improve biodiversity.

 

 

New Job & Volunteering Vacanies at Wildwood

 

New Job & Volunteering vacancies at Wildwood

 

 We have new vacancies at Wildwood. For more details or to apply for these exciting positions, please visit our Jobs page: http://www.wildwoodtrust.org/recruitmentothervacancies.html

 

 

Head of Marketing & Fundraising

Function: Management of Wildwood's marketing, fundraising, membership & databases, social networking, advertising & promotions

Salary: Competitive + pension & other benefits

 

Wildwood Trust is a charity dedicated to the conservation of British Wildlife and running the unique Wildwood Discovery Park.

 

We are looking for someone to manage our marketing & fundraising systems and lead our marketing team.

 

Specifically:

• Charity Marketing & Membership
• Advertising & Promotions
• Fundraising
• Event management
• Public Relations

 

This exciting new position will be a key role within the organisation and will part of the senior management team. The post will require extensive fundraising and communication experience, charity marketing experience and a proven track record in delivering significant income generation from a variety of streams

 

For full details please visit our Jobs Page to download the job description: http://www.wildwoodtrust.org/recruitmentothervacancies.html

 

The closing date is 24th January 2014*. Interviews will be held by arrangement within 2 weeks of that date. 
*Please note that this deadline has been extended, please therefore disregard the closing date of 17^th January that appears on the Job Description

 

Public Education Volunteers

Function: To help members of the public to engage, interact and learn all about our wonderful British native species here at Wildwood

Salary: Voluntary work

 

Wildwood Trust is a charity dedicated to the conservation of British Wildlife and running the unique Wildwood Discovery Park.

 

We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to assist our Education team around the park:

 

Specifically:

• To help the public around the park.
• To provide information points.
• To show artefacts to the public.
• To engage the public throughout their wildlife experience.

 

The right person will be:

• Over 18yrs of age.
• Friendly and confident.
• Able to volunteer their time.
• Enthusiastic about British Wildlife.
• Reliable.
• Reasonably fit and active.
• Happy to be out in all weathers.
• Able to attend during school holidays and weekends.

Successful candidates will be dedicated to volunteering at a wildlife charity and will receive training in public engagement, animal identification and the history of British wildlife and its conservation. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to handle animal artefacts and work behind the scenes at Wildwood.

 

We aim to have our volunteers ready and available for the start of the Easter holidays, Saturday 5th April 2014. We are able to train volunteers with the necessary skills and knowledge needed for the post.

 

We will hold an introductory day, to which all applicants will be invited. Afterwards applicants will be selected based on their potential and abilities for the role. Please not that as we are a small charity, only have a small number of volunteer positions available.

 

To apply, please email: mailto:education@wildwoodtrust.org for an application form. All applications must be submitted by the 7^th February 2014.

Please note this is an unpaid position

Important: All applicants for volunteering or work experience must be over 18yrs

 

Wildwood Trust

Herne Common
Herne Bay

Kent

CT6 7LQ
Tel: 01227 712 111

 

Wildwood is a registered charity no. 1093702

 

 

 

 

New at Wildwood - The Grubby Gang Club!

  

NEW at Wildwood - The Grubby Gang Club!

Wildwood is proud to present the Grubby Gang! A new club just for young nature adventurers where kids aged 7-11yrs can go wild in the woods, make new friends and explore their love of nature.

Grubby Gang is held at Wildwood on the 1st & 3rd Saturday of each month (approx. see list of dates below) with new & exciting activities in the woodland every week. With their Wildwood leader, children will have the chance to explore our woodlands, learn new skills, develop their creativity and discover nature – all whilst having heaps of fun!

Parents need not apply! Grubby Gang is strictly for kids!

Activities include:

Minibeast hunts - Den making - Woodland games - Bug hotels - Nature crafts - Digging for worms - Barefoot texture trails - Scavenger hunts - Dream catchers - Nest building - Nature mosaics - Atlatl (spear) throwing - Mud faces - Mud pies - Mud castles - Bird boxes & feeders - Conker games & competitions - Gandalf sticks - Leaf crowns - Tug of war - Clay pots - Twig wreaths - Pine cone baubles and much, much more!

 

• Grubby gang sessions are from 9.45am – 12.15pm
• Costs:  £8 per child who are Wildwood Members / £10 per child who are not Wildwood Members
• Grubby Gang is for children aged 7-11yrs
• Parents do not need to attend Grubby Gang, all of our staff are fully CRB checked and will escort the children throughout Wildwood.
• Spaces are strictly limited to 10 children per day – book early to avoid disappointment
  
  SPECIAL OFFER: Book 3 Sessions, get the 4th FREE!

 

To book please call the Wildwood Office on 01227 712 111 or book in the Wildwood Shop.

 

Grubby Gang Dates 2014:

February 15th

March 1st & March 22nd

April 5th & April 19th

May 3rd & May 17th

June 7th & June 21st

July 5th & July 19th

August 2nd & August 16th

September 6th & September 27th

October 4th & October 18th

November 1st & November 15th

December 6th & December 20th

 

To book please call the Wildwood Office on 01227 712 111 or book in the Wildwood Shop.

 

The Wildwood Team
Wildwood Trust
Herne Common
Herne Bay

Kent

CT6 7LQ

Registered Charity no. 1093702