Strettons Area Community Wildlife Group

Proposal

In December 2023 Strettons Area Community Wildlife Group requested a grant of £540 to pay for an event they were calling Birdfest for local families and wildlife enthusiasts. It was to be held in the Mayfair Wellbeing Centre. The primary aim was to enthuse young people with an appreciation of birds and the well-being that comes from enjoying nature. Live bird displays, activities for children and short talks and practical workshops led by local experts would take place.

The Grant Committee was happy to support the proposal having been presented with a detailed cost of the event. It looked to be being well planned and focused especially for children. This article was printed on page 38 of May 2024 Stretton Focus (article below).

Birdfest – A Successful Event!

Organised by SACWG in March, ‘Birdfest’ proved a real success. Cheerful volunteers helped make the whole event a wonderfully positive experience and there has been lots of encouraging feedback, including:

“What a great event this was: you and the team must be thrilled at the success, congratulations to you all!”

“Dear all, many, many congratulations on Saturday’s Birdfest at Mayfair. My family and I really enjoyed ourselves. We went on a great walk, learnt lots about birds and the refreshments were amazing. Seeing the owls and falcon up close made the day for my granddaughter. My grandson loved the origami. He came out of Mayfair saying, ‘well that was real fun’. Thank you!”

“This event has been very worthwhile and very much appreciated!”

Outside the Mayfair venue was the birdbox building area, where Will and Mike facilitated the making of well-designed boxes to take away. The youngest participant was 3 years old and proved adept at banging in the nails.

The stars of the day were the birds of prey. Three came from the Battlefield Birds of Prey Centre and a peregrine came with a local retired farmer. All were much admired and on occasion youngsters were given the treat of holding the birds. Lisa from the Birds of Prey Centre gave a talk which drew about 100 people and included Fleur the Barn Owl noiselessly flying about the room.

There was a variety of short talks catering for all ages and levels of experience, including bird watching and ID, and tips on making gardens bird-friendly and photographing birds. There was also the opportunity to go on a bird walk. The activities room engaged youngsters with making origami birds, bird badges, fridge magnets and colouring bird pictures, creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere.

Local bird groups including SWT, SACWG, SOS and RSPB SS, provided stands with practical information on supporting swifts, bird hygiene and bird feeders. People could try their hand at bird song ID or feather ID. On the large screen throughout the day visitors sat and enjoyed a display of wonderful photos from Geoff Hall.

‘Birdfest’ welcomed over 250 people during the day including lots of youngsters. There were some wonderful entries for the children’s art competition and the winners were delighted with their prizes. The day concluded with a positive summing up from Andy Munro the Town Mayor.

SACWG are so grateful for the generous funding received for this event from Focus Community Grants and Church Stretton Town Council which enabled this event to be provided free of charge as a gift to the town. We’re also grateful to the Mayfair staff for their wonderful and accommodating welcome and to their cooks for the wonderful cakes.