New Heritage Lottery Fund Landscape Partnership scheme for The Brecks

Communities, schools and the landscape of the Brecks area in East Anglia will benefit from a series of new landscape and heritage conservation projects thanks to a £1.5million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Following the second-round application for HLF Landscape Partnership funding submitted in November 2013, Suffolk County Council and the Breaking New Ground (BNG) Landscape Partnership Board announced that the HLF has confirmed the award of £1,460,000 towards a £2.2m scheme to deliver a host of projects in a core area of the Brecks.

The remaining funding will be a mixture of contributions from local authorities, project partners and volunteer input.

Lisa Chambers, BNG chairman and deputy leader of Suffolk County Council said: "We are delighted to have been awarded this Lottery funding for the Breaking New Ground Scheme and are very much looking forward to working with our partners and communities in the Brecks.

"As a result of this award, the partnership will be able to carry out a great number of exciting projects for the benefit of Brecks landscape, heritage and communities.

"These will include the creation of a conservation volunteer centre, walking and cycling trails, heritage interpretation that tells the story of the Brecks and new training opportunities. This is excellent news for the Brecks and Suffolk as a whole."

Among the 37 individual projects in the BNG scheme will be the restoration of the Pump House at Brandon Country Park by West Suffolk College Students, and its development as a volunteer centre for the Brecks.

Norfolk and Suffolk Wildlife Trusts will be working with schools to promote the importance of the Brecks habitats and skills to manage these habitats for the future.

The Breckland Society and the UEA will be carrying out extensive new research and landscape heritage interpretation projects and there will be extensive new access opportunities created that will allow more people to enjoy this fascinating area.

The scheme will also create new skills training opportunities in landscape and built heritage conservation as well as running arts courses and some community celebration events.

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