Nature reserve project gets lottery funding

A project connecting local people to their natural landscapes has been awarded almost £90,000.

The funds were awarded to Baildon Town Council to create a new exhibition at Bracken Hall Countryside Centre about the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve (NNR).

The NNR, created in May 2025, was the first in West Yorkshire and includes sites such as Baildon Moor, Shipley Glen, Trench Meadows and Baildon Bank.

Bracken Hall manager Julia Babbitt said: "It's all about getting people out into nature and connecting with that nature that's right on their doorstep."

"We've got big populations in Bradford, Baildon and Bingley, all of those areas. And we just want to get more people out enjoying nature and enjoying it responsibly, looking after it," she added.

The Glen and Moor: Nature Connection at Bracken Hall exhibition received £87,915 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and will explain what the NNR is and how it is protecting the land and species that live there.

Visitors will also be able to get involved with conservation projects at the site.

Bracken Hall, which is run by volunteers, is the only visitor centre at any of the eight sites of Bradford's NNR, said Babbitt.

The area is home to protected species such as curlews, golden plovers and adders, and includes Trench Meadows, which is a site of special scientific interest.

The project is one of many across Bradford that have been given funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with £280,000 awarded across the district.

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