A new children’s play area and plans to renovate the dipping pond at Monkton Nature Reserve have been given a boost following the award of three separate grants.
The reserve, which is run by the Thanet Countryside Trust, has received grants from the Gibbons Family Trust to help with the children’s play area.
Funding has also been given by the Revi-VE fund for post-Covid adaptations and a donation from Barratt Homes for pond dipping equipment.
The aim is to renovate the dipping pond facilities next year.
Dr Clive Nuttman, who is adviser to the Trustees at Thanet Countryside Trust, said: “The Thanet Countryside Trust, which runs Monkton Nature Reserve, has been awarded a grant by the Gibbons Family Trust to help with infrastructure for a children’s play area that is to be developed alongside the picnic area in the coming months.
“Grants from this Trust are given to assist children and young people under the age of 25 that live in Devon (with a preference for East Devon), and/or the Isle of Thanet; the trustees offer grateful thanks for this assistance.
“Complementary funding has been given by the Revi-VE fund that is part of a wider package of support, funded by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), to help deliver long-term resilience and adaptation to a post-COVID world for the visitor economy in the south-east.
“Finally, Barratt Homes have made a donation towards pond dipping equipment; the reserve has ambitious plans to renovate the educational dipping pond for users in 2023 and new equipment will be crucial for our work with visiting school and other groups.”
The Reserve is in an old chalk quarry, last excavated in 1958. It was rescued from becoming a county council rubbish tip in 1985 on the condition that it became a nature reserve and study centre.
The Reserve is open to both members and the general public on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10.30am-3.30pm (last entry 2.30pm). It is not open on Bank Holidays.
No booking is required other than for some family/children activity sessions during the main school holiday periods. Further information about these sessions can be found here.
