A PERSHORE-based community/environmental charity has been awarded £5,000 by the Morrisons Foundation to buy bird nesting boxes and feeding tables and distribute them to hospices.
Welcome to our Future (WTOF) set up a project nearly two years ago to secure grant funding from charitable trusts etc to enable them to distribute bird boxes, and more recently feeding tables, to a wide variety of organisations including churches, village halls, primary schools, care homes for the elderly, hospices and National Trust properties.
The managers of some local hospices told WTOF that the bird boxes and tables provided much interest and enjoyment for patients, visitors and staff and that in the case of patients there were therapeutic benefits as well.
Each hospice will be provided with at least two nest boxes and two feeding tables so it is hoped that around 30 hospices will benefit from the project.
Bill Richardson, fund manager for WTOF, said: “We were thrilled to receive a grant from the Morrisons Foundation and this will mean we can supply bird boxes and feeding tables to many hospices in the area.
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"Feedback we have had from organisations that have already received boxes and tables from us has been extremely positive, with people taking a great interest in the project.
"A recent survey showed that bird numbers in the UK have declined by around 44 million since 1966 and this project will hopefully help to increase numbers."
Theresa Tydeman, community champion for Morrisons (Evesham), said that she was pleased that they were successful with their application and that £5,000 will make a huge difference.
WTOF was set up in 1996 and over the years has administered some large projects including a £1 million waste minimisation campaign, a £5 million grants scheme and a community development finance institution. Further details can be found at wtof.org.uk
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