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Status
Received: on time
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Income
£458.5K
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Spending
£494.5K
Public benefits
The public benefit which flows from the purposes of the Belfast Hills Partnership Trust includes: • The monitoring and control of invasive species. • Wildfire management by mapping risk, managing vegetation and liaison with the Fire Service. • Monitoring and recording wildlife and enhancing the environment to support wildlife, such as butterflies,
birds and bats. • Reducing “fly tipping” in the area by monitoring occurrences, “designing out” fly tipping access and enforcement. • Improving disused quarry sites through hedge and wildflower planting. These biodiversity and landscape improvements bring benefits to the public in terms of ensuring a more attractive environment with plenty of wildlife to visit and enjoy. This in turn brings positive physical and mental health benefits as shown by many studies to date. • Improved public access through building, mapping and publicising paths, while at the same time respecting the rights and wishes of land owners. • Increased awareness and enjoyment of the hills’ biodiversity through events such as wildlife walks, talks and training courses. • Raised awareness and understanding of the living heritage of the Belfast Hills from Mesolithic times through discovering, mapping, interpreting the hills. • Understanding and accommodation is facilitated through working in partnership with competing stakeholders. • Encouraging a broader, more informed and strategic approach among stakeholders to complex issues such as waste proposals or wind turbines. The aim of this is to ensure improved planning decisions which benefit the public by recognising potential negative impacts on residents and visitors and avoid or mitigate for these. The beneficiaries of the services include: • Hills’ residents in terms of the control of unwanted access or fly tipping. • Those living close to the hills in terms of improved access, interpretative events and support in challenging inappropriate planning applications. • Land owners and farmers in terms of control of unwanted access or fly tipping, and support in accessing grants for land management and environmental improvements. • The general public in terms of the conservation of the hills as a public asset, improved access to enjoy the hills and enhanced appreciation and enjoyment of the hills through providing information on the living heritage, flora and fauna of the hills. The benefits can be demonstrated through increased visitor numbers to the hills as evidenced through counters at the main access points, formal and informal evaluation feedback from participants in our events and formal reviews with the four adjoining local authorities and principal central government agency. Any potential harm is outweighed by the benefits and alleviated through respecting the rights of all stakeholders, managing access, reducing wildfires and fly tipping and controlling invasive species. There are no private benefits to any individuals connected with the organisation other than the payments of salaries to staff which is a necessary requirement in order to provide our facilities and therefore incidental to the carrying out of the purposes.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
Our principal activities are: Managing Wildlife and Landscape • Monitoring and recording wildlife and enhancing the environment to support wildlife such as butterflies, plants, birds and bats. • The monitoring and control of invasive species. • Wildfire management by mapping risk, managing vegetation and liaison with the Fire Service. • Reducing
“fly tipping” in the area by monitoring occurrences, “designing out” fly tipping access and assisting in reporting and enforcement. • Improving disused quarry sites through hedge and wildflower planting. Improving Access and Awareness • Improving public access through building, mapping and publicising paths, while at the same time respecting the rights and wishes of land owners. • Increasing awareness and enjoyment of the hills’ biodiversity through events such as wildlife walks, talks and training courses. • Discovering, mapping, interpreting and raising awareness and understanding of the living heritage of the Belfast Hills from Mesolithic times. Improving Real Partnerships • Working in partnership with competing stakeholders to facilitate understanding and accommodation. • Encouraging a broader, more informed and strategic approach among stakeholders to complex issues such as waste proposals or wind turbines.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The advancement of environmental protection or improvement
Who the charity helps
- General public
- Voluntary and community sector
How the charity works
- Environment/sustainable development/conservation
- Heritage/historical
- Rural development
- Sport/recreation
- Urban development
