This includes:

• Developing outdoors birthday parties as a way children and their families can get outdoors and explore their local nature reserves
• Working with local health charities to research a nature therapy programme to help vulnerable people recover from addiction
• Creating a natural wellbeing programme for companies wanting to help their employees improve their health and experience at work

The work to develop these schemes will continue over the coming months. The generous donation is the result of Southern Co-op nominating Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust as their chosen recipient through the national 2017 Pioneer Awards.

Gemma Lacey, Director Sustainability & Communications at Southern Co-op, said: “We work jointly with the ten Wildlife Trusts in the Southern regions, from Somerset to Berkshire and across Hampshire, Sussex and Kent, to share ideas and inspire our colleagues, members and others to discover their wild side and green their neighbourhood. We are delighted to have donated over £63,000 through this partnership over the past eight years.”

Becky O’Melia, Education and Engagement Manager at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said: “Support like this from a local business is invaluable. This donation will really boost the amount of work we do with local communities and will hopefully lead to more people being able to get out in the natural environment with the Wildlife Trust in the future.”