Letters

SE16 ECOLOGY PARK DESERVES FUNDING

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7 January 2008

Stave Hill Ecology Park [SHEP]'s Founder and Site Manager, Rebeka Clark was voted Southwark Woman of 2006 (Active in the Community Category).

It is truly heartening to see a strong and growing interest in community-building, conversation, ecology, environment and wildlife in the Rotherhithe Community Council Area which SHEP, an integral part of' Russia Dock Woodland in South East London has played an increasingly active and important role. I am writing on behalf of Rotherhithe Community Safety Forum (RCSF) to lend our whole-hearted support to SHEP's application for Heritage Lottery Fund to further its business objectives and community-building efforts.

SHEP has grown from strength to strength with the support of the local community and other organisations, including volunteers from the neighbourhood and further afield; global businesses like Barclays Bank and Ernst & Young that send their community service volunteers; Community Service Volunteers (CSV), the UK's largest volunteering and training organisation via their 'Go London Events Programme' and the convicted offenders that serve 'Community Service Orders' via the 'Community Payback Programme', which the Surrey Docks Safer Neighbourhood Police Team helps organise in our collective efforts to help build a safer, more caring and more giving Rotherhithe Community where people will want to live, visit and work.

SHEP had an active and successful year in 2007 and developed new and varied activities like the 'Kids@StaveHill' programme that was launched in April 2007, actively to engage young people in eco-friendly activities and creative arts with their special 'Works of Art' on public display in SHEP for all to see and enjoy. 

Woodland birds that once flourished across Britain are vanishing, according to an extensive study of bird populations across twenty European countries, with some woodland bird numbers fallen by up to 20 per cent in the past two decades and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has blamed it on the disappearance of woodlands as reported by BBC Radio 4 on 21 December 2007. SHEP actively helps promote ecology, wild flower meadow, grassland and woodland habitats for people, family pets and wildlife to enjoy. 

SHEP is the UK's first ever designated urban butterfly sanctuary and has a 12m high wind turbine to feed the man-made ponds and canals with natural water. SHEP takes part in the 'Rotherhithe Peninsular-wide Wildlife Project' that BTCV (formerly known as the 'British Trust for Conservation Volunteers') runs in association with Southwark Council that was launched on June 2 2007. SHEP also takes part in the 'Russia Dock Woodland Bird Boxes Project' that has been run for over three years in association with Bacon's College, Friends of Russia Dock Woodland and local RSPB members. Rotherhithe has enjoyed a fast-growing reputation for love of wildlife as evidenced by Southwark News' full-page special report 'Rotherhithe Wild At Heart' that was published on 26 July 2007 which has helped promote further public interest and support for wildlife in Rotherhithe.

RCSF sincerely hopes that Heritage Lottery Fund will too choose to lend support to SHEP.

Kam Hong Leung, founder, owner and manager, Rotherhithe Community Safety Forum.

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