Have you ever bought a national lottery ticket? And did it make you a millionaire?
No, thought not. But don’t worry, it has helped bring people and nature together in one amazing little corner of England.
An RSPB nature reserve that has revived the relationship between local people and wildlife in an industrial northern town has scooped the top environment prize in The National Lottery Awards.
Staff and volunteers at RSPB Old Moor, near Rotherham and Barnsley, are celebrating the £2,000 prize in the awards ‘Best Environment Project’ category.
Using £885,000 of Lottery funding, the RSPB has helped to regenerate the local landscape, which for years served the mining industry as a coal depot. This vital second chance has allowed the area to become a thriving wetland habitat for wildlife and birds, which now flourish in an area recovering from industrial decline.
The response from local people since its opening just five years ago has been overwhelming and its urban location puts it right on the doorstep for nature-lovers in Barnsley, Rotherham, Sheffield and Doncaster. 100,000 people now come through the doors each year.
And this is all indicative of a national trend that has seen a surge of people wanting to experience nature and wildlife on their doorsteps.
In 2007-08 there were 1.9 million visits to RSPB reserves: the highest number ever. With over 180 RSPB nature reserves offering public access, we have something for everybody, from the naturalist wanting to see a water vole to the A-Level students studying the remains of an Iron Age hill fort.
We guarantee every visitor who comes to one of our reserves the opportunity to be inspired by and connect with nature. So next time you’re on your way through Yorkshire and you want to see what all the fuss is about then please pop in and pay Old Moor a visit. There’ll be a steaming hot cup of tea and the chance to discover something amazing waiting for you.