Boundary reviews of our nationally protected landscapes do not come around very often; in fact, this is the first time the public has had a chance to influence the boundary of the Surrey Hills since it was first designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1958.
On Tuesday 7 March, Natural England opened their public consultation period of 14 weeks to gather comments from individuals and organisations on a proposed extension to the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Surrey Hills Board met on Wednesday and discussed this fantastic opportunity with thanks to the hard work undertaken by Natural England so far.
Kathy Atkinson, Chair of the Surrey Hills Board said:
“Whether you are a resident or a visitor to the Surrey Hills, you will know just what an incredible landscape this is; we are so close to London yet you can feel a million miles away from urban life when you stand on one of the many viewpoints in the Surrey Hills, take a deep breath and look southwards to the outline of the South Downs, with gorgeous undulating countryside and woodland in between.
By extending the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty we will be protecting it by law for the future, and it could unlock additional resources to help the Surrey Hills thrive, in a way that is good for nature and for people. This is – literally – a once in a lifetime opportunity to tell the government how important this area is for all of us, and to ensure as much of it as possible is protected for future generations. I would encourage anyone who cares about this precious natural environment to get involved in the consultation and make their voice count.”
The proposed new boundary has been developed following an initial public engagement phase which ran from late 2021 into early 2022, during which Natural England received over 2,000 pieces of evidence from residents and community groups to help inform which areas should be considered as an extension to the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In the last year Natural England has been evaluating the evidence, as well as undertaking field and desk-based research to create a proposed new boundary and a bigger Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The proposed extension to the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty looks to increase the size of the area by 25%, over 100 square kilometres. Already a quarter of the county of Surrey is nationally protected as the Surrey Hills and the proposed extension would take this figure to over 30% of the total area.
This is a fantastic opportunity to improve the conservation of our natural and cultural heritage, to enhance people’s access to the landscapes they love for mental and physical wellbeing, to nurture sustainable economic growth and to protect the unique habitat and species that call this area home.
You can read Natural England’s full press release here and find out more from the Surrey Hills here.
Hear from the Surrey Coalition of Disabled People about their reflections on recent access audits they have been involved with in the Surrey Hills. Their members have kindly given up their time to join us at gateway sites such as Newlands Corner, Box Hill and the Devil’s Punchbowl to provide feedback on what projects could be developed out of our Defra Access for All fund.
“Our lovely members and staff have been getting stuck in mud, wheeling around natural play parks, testing out the countryside gates and checking accessibility of the cafes to help the Surrey Hills National Landscape with their work on making the countryside accessible to all. This is supported by government funding to help improve accessibility to National Parks and National Landscapes. Surrey Coalition of Disabled People have been working with the Surrey Hills team to audit some of the beautiful Surrey Hills countryside such as Box Hill, Devil’s Punchbowl and Newlands Corner to understand what actions and projects would generate the most valuable outcomes for Disabled People and those with long term health conditions when visiting the countryside.
The Surrey Hills team are now reviewing the feedback and are developing a plan for the next steps.”
Visit the Surrey Coalition of Disabled People’s website here.
On Wednesday 7 December, The Surrey Hills Board thanked their outgoing Independent Chair, Heather Kerswell, for her fantastic commitment to the Surrey Hills National Landscape. The Board welcomed their new Chair, Kathy Atkinson into her new role.
“It is a real privilege and a pleasure to have been appointed as the new Independent Chair of The Surrey Hills Board, and I am grateful to Natural England and to all the Board members for placing their confidence in me. I know I have some pretty hefty shoes to fill; Heather Kerswell has been an incredible Chair, taking up the role just before the pandemic, and she has given fantastic support to the Board and to the staff team during a difficult few years.
I cannot think of a more exciting or challenging time to take up the role of Chair. The boundary review currently being led by Natural England is a once in a generation opportunity to engage residents and visitors with the Surrey Hills National Landscape, and I cannot wait to see the proposals for the boundary, and to encourage as many people as possible to take part in the consultation (due early next year) to finalise these.
Whilst the boundary review is a fantastic opportunity for the Surrey Hills, the challenges facing us are starker than ever. I come from a campaigning background, and I make no apology for that. If we are, collectively, to improve access, restore nature and improve biodiversity, manage our food and energy production (and use) and, in my view, most importantly, arrest climate change, then we are facing the fight of our lives. It is a fight for the National Landscape we treasure.
Perhaps we should look back to some of the great social movements of the 20th century for inspiration… the civil rights movement, women’s equality, even the original National Parks and countryside access movement in the 30s and 40s. These societal shifts were not achieved by administrators, but by visionaries who galvanised communities and mobilised the public in support of a radical change. So, this is our job, and we have no time to waste.”
Kathy Atkinson, Independent Chair The Surrey Hills Board
About Kathy
Kathy has lived in Guildford for most of her adult life; she has two teenage children and has been Chief Executive of the Safer Tourism Foundation for the last six years. She also holds a non-executive role with Surrey Heartlands NHS Integrated Care Board. For seven years Kathy was Chief Executive of the Campaign for National Parks, and she has also worked for a range of charities including Voluntary Service Overseas.
Heather Kerswell (left) with Kathy Atkinson (right)
The Surrey Hills Symposium 2022 identified that the Surrey Hills is a landscape for all. During the event, the audience engaged in a variety of polls which indicated we should be encouraging more people to enjoy the area, especially from communities traditionally unfamiliar with it. The Symposium highlighted how we can all learn how to respect the countryside and care for nature.
On Wednesday 23 November, the Symposium began with a marketplace made up of community groups, partners, and Surrey Hills Enterprises members welcoming guests to the University of Surrey. A thriving marketplace with a common goal; to help make the countryside more accessible to all, ensuring it is protected for people and nature. Guests enjoyed refreshments from Surrey Hills Enterprises member Mandira’s Kitchen. Surrey County Council offered sixty free trees for guests to take away and plant in a space near their home. The aim is to plant 1.2 million trees in Surrey, one for every resident, by 2030.
The marketplace was followed by a showcase and debate asking how we can all protect, respect, and enjoy our National Landscape. The event was opened by Professor Max Lu President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey, who celebrated the University’s launch of the Innovation Exploratorium earlier in the day. These spaces provide visitors the opportunity to explore their research showing the impacts nature has on us, and we can have on nature. This is tightly connected to the launch earlier in the year of Surrey Hills Arts’ HABITAT project which is hosted on campus. The HABITAT project tackles the climate and biodiversity crisis head on by working with local communities to develop and sustain ecological green spaces in urban areas.
Heather Kerswell, Independent Chair of the Surrey Hills Board, showcased some of the collaborative projects undertaken throughout the year helping connect different people with nature. Heather quoted Julian Glover in a review commissioned by the government who said that areas of outstanding natural beauty such as the Surrey Hills were just as important and effective as National Parks; he proposed that they should be renamed National Landscapes and given new purpose in reaching out to everyone in their catchment, not just the people who traditionally use them. Acknowledging this, Defra has awarded the Surrey Hills with an access fund to help provide better access and a higher quality experience to those who have barriers to the landscape.
“Glover challenges us as National Landscapes to reach out to our whole population in everything we do. It is positive to see so much activity undertaken by our Surrey Hills family and partners, but we know that more needs to be done for everyone to be able to Thrive with Nature. How can we open the door wider?”
Heather Kerswell, Independent Chair of the Surrey Hills National Landscape
A new video was showcased featuring a variety of people enjoying and volunteering in the Surrey Hills. As well as enjoyment and conservation, music and arts are key to reaching new audiences. The Surrey Hills Arts ‘Harvest’ event connected hundreds of people to the National Trust’s Box Hill viewpoint, gathered round Diana Burch’s art installation ‘Seeds of Hope’, which we brought to the Symposium to form a backdrop to the speakers.
In-person and online guests then heard from four fantastic speakers about their focus and vision towards making the countryside a place for all, who then answered your questions on their subject matter.
Judy Ling Wong – Hon President, Black Environment Network
“We love what we enjoy, and we protect what we love. Access to nature lays down the basis for the contribution by everyone to the care and protection of nature.”
Haroon Mota – Founder, Active Inclusion Network
“Seeing minorities out in the countryside shouldn’t be strange or a reason to be labelled. Often the biggest barrier is that we haven’t had the outdoors embedded within us from a young age. You can’t be what you can’t see. Community is integral to success and by bringing everybody together, we can find a sense of confidence and belonging in these natural spaces.”
Stephanie Fudge – General Manager, National Trust Surrey Hills
“I believe that the countryside is for everyone- it already is. The National Trust sites in the Surrey Hills welcome a huge diversity of people who come by many means of transport. Our job is to welcome everyone and to share understanding of what they are visiting so they want to help protect it for the future. We have already seen that if visitors are asked to help and know why, they willingly step forward and change their behaviour.”
Ashley Greening – Intern, Surrey Wildlife Trust
“We belong to nature; we don’t own it. We can create a countryside for all by caring for nature but taking out the man-made obstacles that limit some people from enjoying and protecting it.”
This stimulating debate was artistically captured by Veronica Wood, creating a vision of what the future may look like in terms of our access and protection of nature.
Finally, the event concluded with closing remarks from Gordon Jackson, Chair of the Surrey Hills Society. There was a premiere of the new ‘Making Space for Nature’ film, a collaboration between the National Trust and Surrey Hills. This film celebrates the 150-year birthday of the composer of the Lark Ascending, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and the fantastic mosaic of habitat that the Surrey Hills landscape offers.
As guests departed the event, they were asked to write down comments on their thoughts towards how we can improve access to nature whilst protecting the landscape. These responses will help support decision making of future project work made possible by Defra’s access fund towards capital improvements towards access to the countryside.
With thanks to the University of Surrey for hosting our event, and all our partners, community groups and Surrey Hills Enterprises members for exhibiting.
Arts Council England and National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty sign landmark Memorandum of Understanding
Sir Nicholas Serota, chair of Arts Council England and Philip Hygate, chair of the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NAAONB), signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding on 23 September. It represents their commitments to working together to nurture new links between arts and cultural organisations, and England’s 34 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).
Working in partnership under this Memorandum of Understanding means both organisations deliver on their own priorities, underpinned by joint ambitions to see more people engaging with culture and landscape, promoting opportunities, prosperity, and wellbeing for rural communities, and contributing to conversations around tackling the climate emergency.
For years, AONB teams around the country have commissioned or partnered on awe-inspiring art installations and activities, and the Memorandum symbolises a step change in their commitment to partnering with culture organisations to develop high-quality, ambitious art that will reach and move people and communities across England.
Surrey Hills Arts is a partnership between Surrey Arts, Surrey County Council and the Surrey Hills National Landscape. It aims to engage and inspire people in the outstanding natural landscape through an imaginative programme across the arts, promoting heritage, health and tourism. Over the past fifteen years, they have delivered innovative landscape projects engaging local communities and developing emerging artists. Surrey Hills Arts is an excellent example to how connecting to the countryside via the arts can create a deep respect and understanding, as well as the promotion of mental wellbeing when in the landscape.
Inspiring view: OptohedronHABITAT and University of SurreyHeathland Artworks at Farnham HeathOrchard PortraitsHarvest at Box Hill
The Board of the Surrey Hills AONB has signaled its commitment to creating greater links with arts organisations by endorsing the AONB Network’s Art in the Landscape Strategy. We are excited to see how the project develops nationally and locally over the coming years and we will be building greater links with our local cultural organisations.
The signing was hosted by Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership at Samphire Hoe Nature Reserve, as part of AONB’s Salt + EARTH: Festival of Landscape, Seascape and the Environment. The festival saw artists, creatives and scientists explore everything from geography to geology, sounds to sculptures, food to Deep Time. The festival is an exemplar of how when art, science and landscape come together, our understanding is deepened, but more importantly, our enjoyment and curiosity is fired.
Sir Nicholas Serota, chair of Arts Council England said: “The natural environment has inspired artists and writers through the ages. Today, awareness of our environment feeds our imagination, greatly benefits our wellbeing, and broadens our understanding of the climate challenges we face.
“Today’s signing represents further ambitions to deepen our appreciation and engagement with England’s rural landscapes, and their surrounding communities. Reflected through the Arts Council’s commitment to environmental responsibility, this Memorandum highlights the important, crucial connection between culture and the landscape.”
Philip Hygate, chair of the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty said: “England’s 34 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are deeply committed to working with art and culture organisations. We have seen that when AONB Partnerships and artists come together, the results add up to far more than the sum of their parts, creating experiences that will live long in people’s memories. This agreement with Arts Council England provides a framework for us to do more of this invaluable work and enable more people to develop a relationship with the landscapes on their own terms.”
A video commissioned by Arts Council England and the National Association for AONBs
The Surrey Hills National Landscape are recruiting for a new Chair of their Board.
Main Purpose of the Role
To provide leadership and strategic direction to the Surrey Hills AONB Board and champion the activities of the Surrey Hills family.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
To:
Chair meetings of the AONB Board and sub-groups and to guide the AONB Director on the agenda and approach to meetings.
Provide general advice and guidance to the AONB Director and AONB team to ensure that the AONB Management Plan outcomes and objectives are closely linked to government funding
Champion the interests of the Surrey Hills AONB and gain support for the aims, priorities, and delivery of the AONB Management Plan and the work of the Surrey Hills AONB family.
Foster supportive and inclusive partnerships in support of the work of the AONB, building mutually beneficial relationships with all interested bodies working in the countryside, including partnerships with organisations representing those traditionally excluded from the countryside.
Ensure effective cooperation between the Surrey Hills AONB Board and the constituent members of the Surrey Hills family.
Assist in maintaining a positive relationship with the host local authority, balancing the benefits of integration with the interests of all partners and with the need for the Board and the wider AONB family.
Represent the AONB Board on a variety of networks (local, regional and national); participate in activities of the National Association for AONBs to help champion a more consistent approach across the family of landscape designations.
Continue to play a prominent role in the on-going review of the Surrey Hills AONB Boundary (led by Natural England), as a member of the Management Advisory Group for the project. (It will be important that the incoming Chair has no conflicts of interest in this regard.)
Take an active interest in the work of the AONB Board, including staff members and working groups.
Maintain an understanding of the issues facing the AONB and to undertake such training and seminars as may be necessary.
Fulfil their duties in a manner that is free from political bias and influence
Encourage AONB Board Members to act in the interests of the Surrey Hills AONB and
Work with the wider family of protected landscapes, ensuring that the AONB considers issues and opportunities outside of its boundaries and between other protected landscapes to support nature recovery.
Horseman’s Sunday returned to the picturesque church of St Martha-on-the-hill for a unique and special event, celebrating horse-riding in the Surrey Hills.
Both horse riders and members of the community on foot gathered at the top of St Martha’s Hill for a beautiful service led by the new vicar, David Oakden. During the short service, he blessed the horses, and they received a commemorative Surrey Hills rosette.
It was a joy to once again welcome horses and riders to the Horseman’s service. This is an historic annual event which acknowledges the work of the horse from long before cars took over the roads. It is a rural service and helps to bring the community together, so what better way than to celebrate the horse and welcome so many people, their dogs and of course horses and ponies, who all stood so patiently to receive their blessing?
Reverand David Oakden
Horseman’s Sunday is embedded in rich history, the first event occurring at Hyde Park in 1967, which still attracts increasing crowds. This was the first Surrey Hills Horseman’s Sunday since 2019 due to the pandemic, and participants were thrilled to be reunited finally for such a meaningful event. This occasion was especially prominent, as part of the celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
A brilliant congregation of horses and over 50 spectators took part in the service, overlooking the stunning landscape.
I really enjoyed being able to attend the service. Seeing the horses line-up outside the church walls was such a spectacle, and what better setting than in the heart of the Surrey Hills. Horseman’s Sunday is a fantastic event to celebrate horses, horse riding and community in the Surrey Hills.
Mark, an attendee of the event
Being a local rider, Horseman’s Sunday brings home how lucky we are to be able to ride in the beautiful Surrey Hills. To be able to ride right up to the top of St Martha’s Hill for the service, where our faithful horses were honoured and blessed, connected us with all those generations before us. It meant so much for us all, as we looked down on the rolling countryside below, to live in such a lovely part of the world.
Maggie, a horse-rider who took part in the service
Not only does Horseman’s Sunday celebrate horse-riding in the Surrey Hills, but also looks help enable all our communities to connect with their passion for horses. After the service, a collection was made of kind donations to go towards the running and protection of the historic St Martha’s Church, and for local charity Big Leaf Foundation. Big Leaf supports displaced young people in providing opportunities and activities to increase their sense of safety, belonging and purpose in their new environment. The Surrey Hills have been working on a variety of projects with Big Leaf during the last few months, including taking part in the Nature Connections programme, to welcome and connect people with nature. The collections made at Horseman’s Sunday will go towards their equestrian programme which gives displaced young people the chance to spend time with horses- developing skills in communication, coaching, horsemanship and English language.
The Surrey Hills has great pride in the committed equestrian communities that enjoy and help protect the landscape. Later in 2022, the Surrey Hills will be launching a new website which features high quality equestrian routes for all to enjoy. They will also utilise support from their conservation volunteers to help keep the trails safe and protect surrounding habitat.
Visit the webpage here for more information on horse-riding and hacking trails across the Surrey Hills.
In December 2021, Natural England launched the first phase of the Surrey Hills boundary review by calling for engagement from the public. This gathered evidence within and around identified evaluation areas to help inform follow on assessments regarding whether the Surrey Hills National Landscape – a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – should be extended. The evidence gathering platform has now closed, and the Surrey Hills thank all those who participated in the process.
The Surrey Hills family is enormously grateful to DEFRA Ministers for giving the go-ahead for the boundary review and to local Members of Parliament for their support. But most of all, I would like to thank all those organisations and individuals who submitted their evidence. Your fantastic contributions will complement Natural England’s evaluation of natural beauty and the desirability of extending the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Heather Kerswell, Chair of the Surrey Hills Board
Over 2000 pieces of evidence were submitted to the platform, a testament to the outstanding engagement from the public. During the visit by the Rt Hon Lord Benyon (Government Minister for Rural Affairs, Access to Nature and Biosecurity within DEFA) to the Surrey Hills on 1 February 2022, the Minister had the opportunity to visit locations such as Chinthurst Hill within the evaluation areas.
The Rt Hon Lord Benyon with Surrey Hills Chair, Heather Kerswell and Natural England Thames Solent Manager, Stephen Rudd at Chinthurst Hill
Surrey MPs are very pleased to see the amount of engagement the boundary review project has seen during the evidence gathering phase. I look forward to seeing the next stages of the process undertaken by Natural England.
Jonathan Lord, Member of Parliament for Woking
The future stages of the boundary review are outlined on the website here and will include a combination of desk based work and detailed field survey running until late spring 2022, and a desirability and candidate areas assessment in the summer.
“The Surrey Hills AONB is an iconic and beautiful landscape encompassing rare habitats from chalk grassland to extensive ancient woodland and is enjoyed by millions of residents and visitors from all across the region. We are grateful to everyone who has contributed to the call for evidence, and as Government’s statutory landscape adviser, we look forward to continuing to work closely with Government, designated landscape bodies and stakeholders to deliver more for and through England’s diverse landscapes.”
Allison Potts, Area Manager at Natural England
Following on from the evidence gathering phase, Natural England welcomes you to attend one of the four webinars planned for 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 26th March to share with you in more detail how the evidence submitted is being used, the key themes and messages that are emerging and next steps in the boundary review process.
To book onto one of these webinars, please click here.
The Surrey Hills boundary review website can be found here.
Surrey Hills thanks the hundreds of community volunteers planting 13,500 trees for the Queen’s Green Canopy in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
This winter, Surrey Hills Society have worked with 300 volunteers from a diverse range of communities to support the planting of over 2km of native hedgerow and 1000 woodland trees in the Surrey Hills. This engages with the unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, which is inviting people to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee” in aid of The Queen’s Green Canopy. This 2km of hedgerow forms part of the 7.5km being planting in the Surrey Hills through collaborative land manager groups funding by the Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes fund (FiPL). The trees that have been planted are a mixture of native species including hawthorn, field maple and hazel which create essential wildlife corridors and habitat for a wide variety of species such as the hazel dormouse, brown hairstreak butterfly and turtle dove.
“Thank you to all those who have given up their time to be involved in our tree planting efforts. Surrey Hills Society have engaged with members of the community, secondary school students, corporate staff teams and members of the Surrey Choices Growth Team, who all have the common aim of wanting to contribute positively to the environment. It has been wonderful to witness the enjoyment of volunteers, in learning more about both the environment and each other, as well as experiencing the benefit of being outside.” Gordon Jackson, Chair of Surrey Hills Society and Surrey Hills Trust Fund
The Surrey Choices Growth Team in partnership with Surrey Hills Society are funded by FiPL to work one day a week at Newlands Corner, helping to manage access for people and improve habitat for nature as part of the Surrey Hills Conservation Volunteers programme. In February, the Surrey Hills was delighted to host The Rt Hon Lord Benyon, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Rural Affairs, Access to Nature and Biosecurity) who visited the Surrey Hills Conservation Volunteers to view the excellent progress that they have made with removing invasive scrub from the chalk grassland, a habitat which is internationally important for its rarity and species richness.
Over the last few months, a huge variety of volunteer days have taken place in the Surrey Hills. This includes the first Surrey Hills Corporate Champions tree planting day with Allianz Insurance, a partnership between Surrey Hills Enterprises and Surrey Hills Society. The Allianz Tree Planting Day was held on Friday 25 February at Knowle Park in Cranleigh and saw 1,000 trees and shrubs planted.
These essential efforts to help support biodiversity and conservation could not be possible without the engagement from farmers, landowners and volunteers. Angus Stovold of Lydling Farm, comments on the fantastic community work that has been undertaken to help plant trees on the farm;
I knew the local community was interested in our conservation work but we were blown away by the enthusiasm and help they gave willingly. It has made our decisions to continue at a pace much easier to fully integrate our farming with nature recovery.
The support of local Members of Parliament (MPs) has also been invaluable. On Friday 11 March, which was National Tree Planting Day, a group of Surrey MPs attended Lydling Farm, Shackleford to play their part in planting native hedgerow in the Surrey Hills.
I was delighted to be invited to Lydling Farm in the Surrey Hills to participate in some tree planting in aid of The Queen’s Green Canopy. The astonishing efforts made by the Surrey Hills, farmers, landowners and their community volunteers will create a legacy of essential habitat for rare and vulnerable species for years to come. Angela Richardson, Member of Parliament for Guildford
Last week, we hosted 6 brilliant groups of displaced young people from Big Leaf Foundation for a series of nature-based activities at Surrey Outdoor Learning (SOLD). This project is funded by Natural England to empower connection with nature.
Connection to the landscape is an integral physical and emotional experience to support a feeling of safety, belonging and purpose for people in their environmental setting, and mental wellbeing. During the week, the Big Leaf teams were encouraged to partake in activities such as high and low ropes set within the woodland, to creative and artistic sessions. This gave the opportunity to reflect, understand and increase confidence in the natural environment.
Images by Markus Dell
These ribbons contain the hopes and dreams of the displaced young people from Big Leaf Foundation, who joined us at SOLD for their session with Surrey Hills based artist, Diana Burch. From becoming members of the police, doctors, cricketers to hopes for a peaceful future, these ribbons were tied around a tree to dance in the breeze and connect their voices to the natural space.
Some activities were very reflective, stitching and using textile markers on calico pennants. Images of flowers and trees were drawn and stitched, others had included the Afghan flag, pictures of the homes they had been forced to leave and even the chickens in the yard.
They also had a joyful session tangling coloured wool, full of movement and teamwork. The outcome was a beautiful, natural entanglement of the wool, representing the different strands of their lives that despite the violence and trauma endured, have now come together in the setting of the Surrey Hills.
Laughter and enjoyment were key parts of each day. In a way, my lack of sharing a common language and cultural roots with the participants ‘turned the tables’ – I became the person who might be considered as an outsider. The most inspiring aspect of these workshops was the way we all worked together and found common ground in creating together.
Working in the setting of the Surrey countryside was an ideal way to make a bond with the land, where the location acted as provider of art materials as well as a kind of rural gallery to gather the work together.
Diana Burch – Surrey Hills based artist
Images by Markus Dell
Leadership, teamwork and kindness are just three of the characteristics held by the inspiring individuals that the Surrey Hills hosted at SOLD from Big Leaf Foundation. During their activities, they were encouraged to discover nature via physical exploration. This ranged from high and low ropes, blind folded guiding tasks and climbing walls.
An inspiration to us all, these displaced young people were fearless and brought fantastic energy to every experience. They took a kind moment to reflect on their time spent with us so far.
“This really good day, I am happy”.
“It was a great time we spent with you. I would like to thank you all for giving us this kind of respect and wish you best of luck and stay blessed in future.”
“We’ve spent a beautiful time with everyone today”.
“I’m really happy and beautiful, thank you”.
Over the last week, these young people laughed, created, faced fears and supported each other during their exploration of the Surrey Hills. An extraordinary week, full of extraordinary people.
Weeks like this are so important because it gives the young people an opportunity to be outside, to get to know each-other, to leave their accommodation, not to feel so isolated. It’s great for their mental health and general wellbeing. But it also makes them realise that there’s people that care, there’s people that want to help them and they are supported.
In the summer of 2021, Defra announced a new fund to benefit nature recovery across England’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The ‘Farming in Protected Landscapes’ (FiPL) scheme provides grants to farmers and land managers in the Surrey Hills for one-off projects to make improvements to the natural environment, cultural heritage and public access on their land.
Heather Kerswell, Chair of the Surrey Hills Board comments;
The Surrey Hills are enjoyed by millions of people every year and have increased in popularity over the pandemic. With no sign of this trend declining we need to make people aware that this is a living and working landscape that also supports a huge range of habitats and species. By supporting our farmers and land managers we can help protect the Surrey Hills and support our local communities.
This scheme provides a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to nature recovery and I urge our Surrey Hills farmers and land managers to apply for funding.
The Surrey Hills is proud to fund some excellent projects so far. This winter will see over 7.5km of new hedgerows being planted. More than 6km of this will be as part of a collaborative hedge planting project involving eight different land holdings across the Surrey Hills. They will be planting hedgerows to help support native species and create vital habitat corridors across the landscape.
As part of this project, Manor Farm in Wotton kicked off their ambitious planting of over 4km of hedgerow with the help of Surrey Choices, supported by the Surrey Hills Society. Surrey Choices provide a range of support services, which are dedicated to improving the independence, confidence, and life skills of disabled and autistic people and those with other support needs.
The Surrey Choices Growth Team have also been funded by the FiPL grant as Surrey Hills Conservation Volunteers, supported by Surrey Hills Society, to undertake conservation work at Newlands Corner to help manage access and habitats for people and nature. This funding aims to develop and enhance the landscape, whilst enabling supported adults to gain important skills in horticulture, conservation and working in public spaces with the goal to help their transition into the workplace.
Gordon Jackson, Chair of the Surrey Hills Society and Surrey Hills Trust Fund comments;
Surrey Hills Society are thrilled to be collaborating with Surrey Choices to help protect and conserve the landscape. The Society has brought together a wide variety of volunteers working alongside Surrey Choices, with upwards of 300 volunteers planting native hedgerow in the months of February and March. Most recently we held a Society planting day at Manor Farm on 23 February, where Society and Surrey Choices volunteers worked side by side to help Manor Farm plant their 4.5km of FIPL funded hedgerow this winter.
On Tuesday 1 February 2022, the Surrey Hills was delighted to host the Rt Hon Lord Benyon Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. During his visit, the Minister was able to view some of the FiPL funded projects in action including visiting Surrey Choices at Newlands Corner and seeing a new flail collector purchased via the grant by Michael Baxter of the Albury Estate. This new machinery has enabled the Estate to improve its management of the important heathland, chalk grassland and woodland sites by working more efficiently and productively over larger areas. This is to the benefit of the landscape, to wildlife such as the small blue butterfly, and to the many people who visit this part of the Surrey Hills.
Michael Baxter of the Albury Estate comments;
We used the (FiPL) grant to purchase a specialist flail collector. This will enable the Estate to improve its management of the important heathland, chalk grassland and woodland sites by working more efficiently and productively over larger areas to the benefit of the landscape, wildlife, biodiversity and the many people who visit this part of the Surrey Hills AONB. The grant application was straightforward, and the Estate received support throughout the process.
The Surrey Hills grant has also funded projects such as a three metre Moore Unidrill at a dairy farm in Betchworth, which will help reduce the release of carbon stored in soil, protect the local environment from soil erosion and flooding and improve the sustainability of the farm. Another exciting project is the installation of a variety of wildlife boxes across 20 land-holdings to deliver a large-scale, coordinated improvement to the provision of living spaces for wildlife. Species such as barn owls, dormice and kingfishers are present within some landholdings and the new houses will help these species to increase in numbers, with further projects planned to improve habitats.
The FiPL fund is key to helping deliver the Surrey Hills Management Plan by sustainably managing and conserving habitats and the natural environment, supporting the landscape’s cultural heritage and enriching the access and enjoyment of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for all.
Co-ordinated by the Surrey Hills AONB Board, the Farming in Protected Landscapes scheme is open to all farmers and land managers (including from the private, public and charity sector) within the AONB. Applications are open now and the scheme runs until March 2024.
On Tuesday 1 February 2022, the Surrey Hills National Landscape was delighted to host The Rt Hon Lord Benyon, the Government Minister for Rural Affairs, Access to Nature and Biosecurity for the opportunity to hear about their current projects, and meet some of the land managers, local businesses and partners within the Surrey Hills.
Welcomed by Heather Kerswell (Independent Chair) and Rob Fairbanks (Director) the Minister’s morning started at Chinthurst Hill, in one of the evaluation areas for the Surrey Hills boundary review, a project led by Natural England. The boundary review is an excellent opportunity for locations outside of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) to be formally assessed with the potential to be included within an extended protected area. The public engagement platform closed on 31 January and saw over 2,000pieces of evidence gathered across the landscape.
Pictured left to right: Rob Fairbanks (Surrey Hills Board Director), Clive Smith (Surrey Hills Planning Adviser), Stephen Rudd (Natural England), Heather Kerswell (Surrey Hills Independent Chair) and The Rt Hon Lord Benyon
At Newlands Corner, which commands wonderful views across the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Minister was joined by Albury Estate landowner, Earl Percy, and Marisa Heath, Surrey’s cabinet member for Environment. They were given an overview on the recent improvements to visitor facilities including new signage and interpretation, self-guided walking trails and the resurfaced car park. The group enjoyed a preview of the newly upgraded Discovery Centre, which is due to open to the public in the coming months, as well as viewing a short compilation of the #MySurreyHills video series. Looking across the viewpoint, the Growth Team from Surrey Choices welcomed the group to the beautiful landscape where they have been undertaking some essential habitat and access management work to restore the chalk grassland habitat. This work is being undertaken in collaboration with the Surrey Hills Society, and this talented team from Surrey Choices are the first group of Surrey Hills Conservation Volunteers, helping manage access and habitats for people and nature. Surrey Choices provide a range of support services, which are dedicated to improving the independence, confidence, and life skills of disabled and autistic people and those with other support needs.
Pictured: The Growth Team from Surrey Choices, Lord Benyon and Surrey Hills Society
Pictured left to right: Alistair Burtenshaw, Director of Watts Gallery and Surrey Hills Arts Chair Lord Benyon and Alison Clarke (Surrey Hills Arts)
Continuing down into the Albury Estate, they were able to see one of the Surrey Hills FiPL applications (Farming in Protected Landscapes, funded by Defra) in action through the new flail collector purchased via the grant by Michael Baxter of the Albury Estate. This new machinery has enabled the Estate to improve its management of the important heathland, chalk grassland and woodland sites by working more efficiently and productively over larger areas. This is to the benefit of the landscape, wildlife, for example the small blue butterfly, biodiversity and the many people who visit this part of the Surrey Hills. The FiPL fund is key to helping deliver the Surrey Hills Management Plan by supporting projects including cluster groups of landowners and managers who are planting over 7.5 km of new native hedgerow this winter.
Pictured: Alex & Dom of Albury Organic Vineyard with Lord Benyon
Pictured left to right: Lord Benyon, Marisa Heath, Earl Percy and Heather KerswellPictured left to right: Mandira (Mandira’s Kitchen), Simon Whalley (Chairman, Surrey Hills Enterprises) and Lord Benyon
The Minister was able to witness the stunning illustrations of the Surrey Hills indicator species from their Making Space for Nature project. These paintings were created by an ‘Our Time’ artist at HMP Send, taking part in a programme delivered by Watts Gallery Trust and funded by the Michael Varah Memorial Fund in collaboration with the Surrey Hills Society and Surrey Hills Trust Fund.
Lunch was set in the background of the Albury Estate Vineyard and the site where a wildlife pond is being created. Before departure, Lord Benyon was able to plant a tree at this site and thank his hosts.
I was delighted to meet the talented and passionate Surrey Hills family and their partners for what was a vibrant and informative day. It was wonderful to hear about the valuable work being undertaken to support native species and improve access for the public.
The Rt Hon Lord Benyon
We are very grateful to Lord Benyon for accepting our invitation to spend a day in the Surrey Hills. His enthusiasm and interest in our projects was brilliant to see and we look forward to updating him in due course about all the work we do at the Surrey Hills.
Heather Kerswell, Independent Chair of the Surrey Hills
