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About us
About us
The management committee
From its inception, work on the Wildlife Area has been planned and managed by a committee of local people. They represent nearby schools, district and parish councils and local conservation organizations. The committee also works on getting grants to finance what we do and manages those funds.
The present officers and members, from June 2007, are:
Richard Lowe - ChairmanMrs Joy Matthews - SecretaryMrs Sally Cole - Treasurer (and noticeboards and risk assessment)Ms Susie Birch - representing Lingfield Primary SchoolMrs Mary Edwards - representing Lingfield Parish CouncilMr David Hadley - chairman of Planning & Works sub-committee (a local Tree Warden)Mrs Julie Hearn - Publicity (representing Lingfield and District Conservation Society; a local Tree Warden)Mrs Sarah Henderson - Local GroupsJohn Madden - Surveys ManagerParish Councillor Graham Marks - representing Lingfield Parish CouncilDavid Netherclift - AllotmentsDistrict Councillor Michael Sydney - representing Tandridge District CouncilMrs Anne Richards - Grants Secretary (a local Tree Warden)Roger Whitehead - Webmaster (representing Surrey Wildlife Trust; a local Tree Warden)The membership of the committee has a stable core. Anne Richards and Graham Marks have been on it uninterruptedly from its first meeting, in March 1994, giving a helpful continuity. Roger Whitehead was also a member of the original committee but his service has been interrupted for short periods.
The following people have served on the committee in the past. We are grateful to them all:
Mrs Mary A'Herne. Mary died suddenly in January 2002 and is much missed.Parish Councillor Mrs Jenny AttwoodDistrict Councillor Mrs Jill BrowningMichael Cedar, the creator of our pond and wetlandMrs Jane ChapmanDistrict Councillor Tony Dalrymple, our original chairman and long-serving representative of Tandridge District CouncilMrs Heather FrancisMrs Sue GeorgeMrs Sheilah GrayParish Councillor Alec NivenMrs Peta OrrMrs Felicity PoolAlan ReynoldsMrs Kate ReynoldsBarry Silsby, our founder TreasurerMrs Wyn Weston, who stood in as temporary Treasurer for over a year.We occasionally invite officers from Tandridge District Council and other guests to attend meetings whenever we need specific advice and help.
Volunteers
Practical work on the reserve, such as planting shrubs and trees and maintaining existing hedges, is done by committee members, by young people on their Duke of Edinburgh's Award and by a hardworking group of volunteers, the Friends of Lingfield Wildlife Area. Many of the Friends are also active on Centenary Fields, next door. We are deeply indebted to the Friends and other individual volunteers for what they have contributed over the years.
If you are interested in helping with the practical work on the reserve, just turn up on one of the working days, listed here. You'll get a warm welcome - we're a friendly bunch and always happy to see a new face.
From time to time, we get help from conservation groups such as the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (paths and pond structures) and the South of England Hedgelaying Society (hedging). Some work, such digging the pond and mowing the fields, is put out to professional contractors.
Where does the money come from?
The Wildlife Area is funded entirely by voluntary donations and grants, usually gained in competition with other reserves and conservation groups. Almost every grant has come about through the efforts of our inventive and indefatigable Grants Secretary, Anne Richards.
Many of these grants have come from environmental organizations and programmes, such as Barclays SiteSavers, Community Service Volunteers, the Countryside Agency, Forestry Commission, Rural Action for the Environment (now defunct), Shell Better Britain Campaign and the Lingfield and District Conservation Society.
Grants have come also from British Airports Authority (Gatwick), Lingfield Marathon Fun Run, Lingfield Parish Council (also in its previous form, as Lingfield and Dormansland Parish Council), Surrey County Council, Tandridge District Council and the Toshiba Pride of Place Awards.
Details of these and other organizations that have been helpful to us are given here, as well as being accessible through the individual links above.