Clackmannanshire Council Online

BBC teams up with Council to create community breathing place

Clackmannanshire Council is one of 50 local councils across the UK who have joined forces with the BBC Breathing Places campaign to turn their communities into breathing places. In the next 12 months each council has committed to make space for nature and create wildlife friendly communities in urban and rural locations.

Working in partnership with the BBC, Councils will encourage nature novices to join events, learn new skills and make a long lasting difference to their community.

Locally the Clackmannanshire Green Map Initiative established by CVS Clackmannanshire and Action for Change has been the driving force that has nurtured and co-ordinated activities from a wide range of community organisations and local schools in developing the area's two Breathing Places.

Over the past 18 months funding from the Big Lottery Fund and BBC Breathing Places, along with funding from the Clackmannanshire Biodiversity Partnership, Clackmannanshire Healthy Futures Network and Clackmannanshire and Stirling Environment Trust, has enabled work to be carried out at the Delph Pond in Tullibody and Cowpark Wood in Sauchie.

At the Delph Pond a number of community work days have been organised to remove litter from the woods and the pond, to install bird boxes with the help of local primary schools, install floating reed beds and a new swan nesting platform and to create new paths around the pond. The path work has been carried out by national volunteering organisation BTCV. So far 100 school pupils and approximately 150 people have been involved in work days at the Delph Pond which have been organised by the Delph Pond Forum.

The Delph Pond Forum was set up as a partnership approach to local regeneration and has brought together representations from local community and public sector organisations to work together to raise funds, encourage local volunteering and public agency expertise to make a positive impact on the local environment.

At Cowpark Wood works to raise and improve the footpaths, in conjunction with the Woodland In and Around Town (WIAT) project have created a new pond to help attract wildlife.

This latest funding from the BBC Breathing Places will allow further improvements to the Delph Pond through wildflower planting, the creation of a bog garden, the installation of seats, litter bins and a picnic bench. It will also fund a community celebration day and interpretive work with local schools.

Councillor Sam Ovens, Regeneration Portfolio Holder, said: "Once an area which attracted anti social behaviour, Delph Pond and its surroundings have been improved over the past few years and it is now an area for the whole community to enjoy. This has been achieved through partnership working and the active support of the local community."

Karen Gregory BBC Breathing Places Project Executive said: "I am delighted that Clackmannanshire Council has joined us for what promises to be an exciting year for the Breathing Places Campaign. Working in partnership with Clackmannanshire Council gives us both a wonderful opportunity to reach thousands of people and inspire them to get out and do one thing for nature."

Inspired by existing wildlife priorities local councils have set practical targets for the year including tree planting, bird box building, pond clearance, wasteland transformation, wildflower planting and litter clearance. Everyone and anyone can get involved locally as councils will be teaming up with schools, libraries, children's' centres and existing wildlife organisations.

The year kicks off with the BBC Breathing Places Dirty Weekend. For more details go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/

In Clackmannanshire the Dirty Weekend will be celebrated at Delph Pond on Sunday 7th June when there will be family fun and games from 10am.

Free environmental workshops have been offered to pupils at Banchory, St Bernadette's, St Serf's and Abercromby Primary Schools and Lornshill Academy by Edinburgh-based environmental educators Te POOKa in the run up to the event and Te POOKa will be bringing their award winning artists to Delph Pond on 7th June. They will provide environmental games, musical biodiversity, an environmental challenge and a story teller.

There will also be the chance to make a bird or bat box with the Community Wardens and plant a bog garden with Biodiversity Officer Guy Harewood. Tullibody Healthy Living Initiative will be providing refreshments while CVS will host a 'Do One Thing for Nature' tent and Tullibody History Group will also host a marquee.

BBC Radio Scotland will be broadcasting their 'Out of Doors' programme live from the event between 11am and noon with Mark Stephen and Euan McIlwraith and special guest Aggie McKenzie from "How Clean is Your House".

Notes for Editors

1. Delph Pond Forum includes: Clackmannanshire Council, Central Scotland Police, CVS, Tullibody History Group, Clackmannanshire Biodiversity Partnership and Tullibody, Cambus and Glenochil Community Council.
2. BBC Breathing Places is a five year BBC Learning Campaign to inspire people to connect with nature. Developed in partnership with a huge range of wildlife and conservation organisations the campaign encourages new audiences to get involved in doing one thing for nature, while creating Breathing Places across the UK.
3. A Breathing Place is a green space that is great for wildlife and people. It could be a local woodland, roadside, park, nature reserve, pond, green corridor or meadow. It has an active community of people creating, enjoying and maintaining it.
4. More information available at: www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/communities
5. You can also refer to our web page entitled Breathing Places.