In the week of the Budget, we received some very good news.
Our Sherwood project (jointly run by the RSPB with Sherwood Forest Trust, Continuum Attractions and Thoresby Estate) has secured £500,000 from the Growth Fund of the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Andrew Percy MP (Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government) was at Sherwood with the team yesterday to announce the great news as part of the launch of the UK Government's new Midlands Engine (for economic growth).
Image by JDDK Architects
I was delighted to hear this news for two reasons.
First, the cash injection will be an invaluable contribution to our plans for a new visitor centre at Sherwood Forest (opening in 2018 and shown above as an artist's impression) and the management of the internationally important Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve (which includes one thousand ancient oaks, many in excess of 500 years old).
Second, it is a sign that the Government understands the economic benefits of investing in nature and rural tourism - when last assessed (here), the natural environment was found to support almost 750,000 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs and over £27.5 billion of economic output across the UK.
There is a growing acceptance of the value of the natural world to people and yet this comes at a time of continued economic uncertainty. We are already faced with a conservation finance shortfall in the UK of over £275 million a year and we continue to struggle to meet our own targets to restore nature for which we have international commitments. We clearly need a different approach to economic development which respects environmental limits and has the potential to deliver sustainable prosperity over the long-term. We cannot do that without greening our economy and we can’t green our economy without conserving the natural world.
I look forward to the day when this is properly reflected in future government economic policy and I hope yesterday's announcement was a sign of good things to come.
Many congratulations to the team and many thanks to the Local Enterprise Partnership and to the Department for Communities and Local Government.