Love the Forest awards grant to vital heritage centre

A New Forest centre that inspires visitors to explore and value the National Park has received £2,500 from the Love the Forest scheme.

The Love the Forest scheme is part of the New Forest Trust and secures financial support locally through donations and from the millions of people who visit the Forest each year.

It has awarded a grant to the New Forest Heritage Centre, a museum, gallery and reference library dedicated to sharing the history and traditions of the New Forest.

Located in Lyndhurst, the centre is free to enter and attracts more than 200,000 visitors a year. Its exhibits, collections and education service play a vital role in promoting conservation and educating visitors and residents.

The Heritage Centre also houses the Christopher Tower Reference Library which boasts one of the most comprehensive collections of material about the New Forest open to the public, including sections dedicated to individual towns and villages.

Giles Gould, Manager of the New Forest Heritage Centre, said: ‘Once again we are indebted to Love the Forest for their on-going support. In a year in which everyone has faced on-going challenges, we are delighted to be open, preserving the heritage and telling the story of the New Forest. Without support like this we simply couldn’t do what we do.’

The Love the Forest scheme works with businesses across the New Forest to raise funds for conservation and education projects, as well as providing grants to local organisations.

Businesses in the New Forest provide opportunities for their customers to help look after this precious landscape by adding a donation on a room stay, meal or product. Some businesses donate directly or run fundraising events and the scheme has raised £265,000 for New Forest groups and organisations.

William Ziegler, Chairman of the New Forest Trust, said:  ‘Given that one of the Trust’s core aims is to increase the public’s understand of the New Forest, we are pleased to support the Heritage Centre as the educational work they do ties in so closely with this.’

If you are a New Forest business and would like to help protect this special place, please get in touch: https://www.newforesttrust.org.uk/love-the-forest

Alternatively, you can donate to Love the Forest online: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?charityId=1008157