Devon Wildlife Trust calls for votes to bag a share of £12.5m fund

Devon Wildlife Trust is bidding to bag a cash boost from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative to help improve a popular East Devon nature reserve.

Bystock Pools, near Exmouth, was saved as a nature reserve with public access in 2015, thanks to generous donations from local people and Devon Wildlife Trust members. Now, DWT has a chance to win funding to make the site more accessible to visitors – but the value of the award is in the hands of Tesco shoppers.

The supermarket has teamed up with Groundwork on its Bags of Help initiative, which see grants of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy – being awarded to environmental and greenspace projects.

Three groups in each of Tesco’s 416 regions have been shortlisted to receive the cash award.

And this month shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.

Devon Wildlife Trust is one of the groups on the shortlist and funds raised will be spent at our Bystock Pools nature reserve.

Between the urban centres of Exeter and Exmouth, Devon Wildlife Trust's Bystock Pools Nature Reserve is somewhere for people to escape the bustle of busy lives and recharge in beautiful, tranquil surroundings. And with a boardwalk at one entrance it's also an ideal place for visitors using wheelchairs or pushchairs to experience Devon's wild beauty.

Better access and new signage and information will improve the nature reserve experience for its more than 12,000 annual visitors.

Bystock has 67 acres of flower-filled meadows, mature woodland, colourful heathland and ponds galore. The nature reserve is home to a dazzling variety of butterflies and dragonflies. This site is a haven for bats and dormice – it’s also one of the best places in Devon to spot the magical evening illuminations of glow worms.

DWT’s Dan Smith outlined the plans: “With funds raised by the Bags of Help initiative DWT aims to improve the reserve for visitors.

“We plan to install new bridges to improve access from the woods to the long pond and will construct some steps steps on the steeper slopes – so more visitors can enjoy more of the reserve.

“A new welcome sign will also brighten up the initial impression of Bystock for visitors and replacement interpretation boards will present in a more engaging way the information on Bystock’s wildlife and the paths people can use to explore.”

Voting is open in stores from 31 October to 13 November. Customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.

This is the second round of the initiative: the first round saw approximately eight million shoppers vote in stores up and down the country earlier this year.

Lindsey Crompton, Head of Community at Tesco, said: “The first round of the Bags of Help initiative was a fantastic success.

“In total 1,170 community groups were awarded £8,000, £10,000 or £12,000 - that’s a massive £11.7 million being invested into local projects.

“We are already seeing some great results from groups transforming their own environmental and greenspace areas.

“We are absolutely delighted to open the voting for round two. There are some fantastic projects on the shortlists and we can’t wait to see them come to life in hundreds of communities.”

Groundwork’s national Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said: “Bags of Help is giving our communities both the funding and the support to create better, healthier and greener places for everyone to enjoy.

“We’ve been thrilled to see the diversity of projects that have applied for funding, ranging from outdoor classrooms, sports facilities, community gardens, play areas and everything in between.

“They’re all fantastic projects that make a real difference in our neighbourhoods.

“We’re looking forward to learning the results of the customer vote and then supporting each group to bring their project to life.”