The Prime Foundation made an appeal earlier this year for good
causes in Yeovil to come forward and apply for a share of £8,000
worth of grant funding; after reviewing all of the applications,
the charity has chosen to support Friends of Ham Hill, amongst
others.
The Friends of Ham Hill is a group of volunteers dedicated to
helping the ranger team to look after and improve Ham Hill Country
Park. With funding secured, they can now create a children's
adventure trail activity leaflet to encourage families to be led on
adventures by their youngest members. The money will also expand
the orienteering course at the park to cover the whole of the
site.
Mick Wooden, Chairman of the Friends of Ham Hill said: "The
Friends thank the Prime Foundation for their generous grant. Ham
Hill (the largest Iron Age hill fort in Europe) is a wonderful
resource for people across a wide area. The grant will enable us to
bring to life the diverse history, geology and wildlife of this
unique greenspace and encourage families to be led on
adventures by their younger members. It will also help us expand
the existing orienteering course so that it covers the whole of the
site. This would involve designing marker positions, creation of a
new map and installation of new markers across the site."
Councillor Sylvia Seal, Portfolio Holder for Leisure &
Culture at South Somerset District Council, added: "Thanks to the
Prime Foundation, the Friends of Ham Hill group are able to use the
grant funding for projects that will enable more people to enjoy
the outdoors and visit the wonderful green space that Ham Hill
provides."
The Prime Foundation is a registered charity which provides
further investment in communities where Prime has built a new
facility. When a project is completed, Prime donates a proportion
of its profits to the Foundation, which then distributes the money
as grants to local initiatives or groups.
Hannah Cashmore from the Prime Foundation said: "We had an
overwhelming response from groups and projects in and around Yeovil
to our funding appeal this summer, and eventually narrowed it down
to three worthy causes. The projects are all very unique and will
promote education and well-being across different parts of the
community, from young people and families to older and isolated
people. We look forward to seeing the projects come to fruition
over the coming months and to see what a difference the funding has
made."
Above: Rangers and volunteers working to construct the new
woodland play zone at Ham Hill Country Park.