We are thrilled to be supporting Greensand Country for another year, following our sponsorship of the annual festival in 2021.
We are donating £7,500 to further support and raise awareness of Greensand Country.
Greensand Country is a beautiful and well-loved landscape defined by the Greensand Ridge, a 42-mile-long band of higher ground stretching from Leighton Buzzard to Gamlingay, which rises out of the surrounding vales to create a locally unique environment. The area is home to all of Bedfordshire’s remaining heathland, more than half of its woodland and more historical parklands than anywhere else in Britain.
This locally-treasured landscape is cared for by the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership, which is hosted by The Greensand Trust and Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity and consists of more than 20 partners, who work together for the future prosperity of the area.
In 2013, the partnership was granted funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Since then, it has completed 90 heritage, landscape and community engagement projects and collaborated with over 25 local organisations, including town and parish councils, likeminded charities such as the RSPB, and independent businesses, including pubs, cafés, bakeries, farm shops, gift shops, hotels and more.
This year, the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership is completing its wide programme of projects, which have been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is continuing to engage with the landscape and local communities with projects under its four new themes: ‘caring for the landscape’, ‘local action on climate change’, ‘enjoyment and wellbeing’ and ‘rural economy and sustainable tourism’.
As part of our donation, we are funding drone footage of the landscape and the creation of a leaflet, which will include information on what Greensand Country is, highlight key areas on a map, and provide top tips on how locals can engage with the environment themselves.
Alongside this, we are also supporting the Greensand Country Festival and running a cycling competition on social media in June, where participants who cycle within Greensand Country will be in with a chance of winning a prize.
Kerry Jones, Sales and Marketing Director at Mulberry Homes, said: “We couldn’t be happier to be supporting Greensand Country for the second year in a row. 2022 is a hugely important year for both the Landscape Partnership and us at Mulberry Homes, and both of us share similar core values of putting the local community and sustainable practices at the heart of all we do.
“The Greensand Ridge itself runs through the heart of our Bedfordshire patch, so aligning ourselves with the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership felt like a very natural decision. We are very proud to be a part of this incredible project for another year, and we’re very much looking forward to the annual festival in May.”
Daniel Bowles, Partnership Coordinator at the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership, said: “The Greensand Country Landscape Partnership is proud to have delivered a huge number of projects so far, that raise the profile of our unique and much-loved landscape, and encourage others to appreciate, engage with it and look after it for the future.
“We are delighted that Mulberry Homes has committed to continue its support of Greensand Country, enabling us to make the first steps towards our forward-plan, allowing more people to engage directly with the landscape.”
This May and June, the partnership will be hosting its annual Greensand Country Festival, in which locals can enjoy and explore the breath-taking landscape. As part of the festival, local businesses, councils, social groups and charities come together and organise a diverse range of inclusive and fun activities, including walking and cycling activities, horse rides, wellbeing talks and live music.
To find out more about Greensand Country, visit https://www.greensandcountry.com/. For details on our developments in Bedfordshire, go to https://mulberryhomes.co.uk/.
