Flourishing Communities

How can we facilitate and support the conditions in protected landscapes where a diverse community can live and work?

Online event

12th November 2024 - 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

A playground for the rich - Enabling living working landscapes to be affordable and relevant to resident populations

Speakers will look at different examples of supporting local people to live and work in protected Landscapes and how a group of young peple challenged the protected landscape to support them to get affordable housing

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Site Visits

Low Beckside Farm near Penrith

18th October 2024

We will be hosted by staff from the owners and managers of the farm, Ernest Cook Trust, and will learn more about how they run it as a base for green skills and land based learning. We will also hear more about the Trust’s plans for managing the land with nature in mind, and their links with Cumbria Connect operating across the county. If you are interested in apprenticeships for young people, we will hear direct from some of those involved here at Low Beckside.

Free shuttle bus provided from Penrith station @10.30am, the visit will run from 11am until 3pm with a buffet lunch provided,

Travel bursaries available for young people (age under 30) with grateful thanks to Ernest Cook Trust for financial support. Please contact [email protected]

Booking link

Connemara National Park

4th November 2024

The site visit will look at the establishment of community training and projects to control rhododendron, and how this work is supporting their incomes, and also as a result some people have found careers in the NPWS.

There will be presentations from Forum Connemara regarding the Dulra project, from WAN/Leenane Development Association regarding Rhododendron Management in the Bundorragha river catchment area, from Farm Relief Services on working with the NPWS on Rhododendron management projects, and NPWS speaking on some of our experiences.

Programme will be approximately talks in the morning, which could also be available to access online, which would be followed by an early lunch and then a field trip to look at one of the projects in the afternoon finishing at 16.00

Booking link

Field Trip to Chilterns National Landscape

13th November 2024

Field Trip to Chilterns National Landscape

Date: Wednesday 13^th November 2024 10.30 to find out more about the national arts programme ‘Nature Calling’.

Focussing on our conference theme ‘Nature for All’ this trip is hosted by Chilterns National Landscape in the Luton area. Join us to find out more about the creative process with writer Lee Nelson supported by Luton based arts organisation Revoluton Arts. Find out how they are engaging with local communities and linking with the chalk grasslands and surrounding hills as well as local greenspaces and heritage. Lee is an exciting and established artist who works with words and people in his home town of Luton. We will hear more about the Nature Calling programme happening across 6 national landscapes in 2024-25; how this work will engage with new audiences living locally; and why nature and landscapes for everyone is key to the future of protected landscapes.

Details: meet at Bushmead community hub in North Luton for 10.30am. The visit will include a walk around Bradgers Hill County Wildlife Site followed by presentations and a discussion at nearby Marsh Farm, home of Revoluton Arts who are producing this initiative.

Lunch will be provided and the visit will conclude by 3.00pm.

Places limited to 18 people.

Booking link

Event Chair

Jo Swiers

Jo has 25 years’ experience of delivering organisational strategy in public and third sector organisations including the North York Moors NPA, National Parks UK, Nidderdale AONB, the Lower Ure Conservation Trust and the National Trust.

In 2020/2021 Jo also facilitated a DEFRA Environmental Land Management ‘Test and Trial’. This involved working with the Foundation for Common land and Federation of Cumbrian Commoners to develop an ELM delivery model for Commons.

Jo was brought up on a farm near Skipton and is now based in Ripon, North Yorkshire. In her early career she worked on land management projects in Guyana, St Helena and China. She has a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, and as well as being a board member at EUROPARC Atlantic Isles and enjoys hill walking, swimming and attempting to grow prize winning vegetables

Event Panel

Brian Taylor

Head of Planning
Peak district National Park

Originally from the Lake District in Cumbria, I studied Town Planning at Sheffield Hallam University in 1992 and became a long term resident of the city. In 2000 I joined the Peak District National Park Authority working as a community planner, devising village plans and developing community aspirations for projects. I have now worked at the National Park Authority for nearly 25 years covering a range of planning policy, strategy, and sustainable travel projects. I have taken 2 Local Plan documents through to public examination and adoption, produced numerous design and supplementary policy documents and helped set up a visitor bus concept. Since 2021 I have had the privilege of being the Head of Planning for the National Park, working more closely with our Development Management and Enforcement functions, thinking more closely about our Service Structure, creating a more resilient and diverse staff resource with more career progression and apprenticeship opportunities. We have regained a more sustainable caseload that has allowed us to improve our service and bring back a healthy income stream to sustain the team. I also work closely with colleagues across the family of National Parks and maintain oversight of our Policy, Heritage and Minerals teams and lead on several partner initiatives in support of our National Park Management Plan (e.g. sustainable communities, visitor management and active travel). We have recently won 2 commendations from the East Midlands RTPI for our work on affordable housing and neighbourhood planning and continue to look for service improvements to increase our profile as a great place to work and develop as a conservation minded planner.

Dr Margaret Flaherty

Community Engagement Officer,
LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature

Margaret is Community Engagement Officer with Wild Atlantic Nature. She has been working in education and visitor services in Ireland’s National Parks since the early 2000s. She has combined this career in learning and engagement with her own studies and holds a PhD in Zoology, a MSc in Nature Conservation and a degree in Ecology. She’s had a number of post-doctoral roles including teaching, research and stakeholder engagement. Margaret grew up in Connemara, and with its rich ecosystems as her backyard, has had a keen interest in nature from a young age. Margaret is passionate about helping to nurture a deeper understanding and appreciation of Irish natural heritage, which she believes is key to protecting nature and ensuring that it can be enjoyed by future generations. She is also an advocate for protecting the nocturnal environment and is actively involved in dark sky initiatives.

Leslie Silverlock

Founder
Exmoor Young Voices

Leslie began his professional life as a teacher, youth worker, community worker and trainer, developing community schools, since then advising government and public services, the Eden Project, Big Local, charities and disadvantaged areas, on empowerment and maximising their potential. In 2011 the National Park asked him to identify the causes of the substantial and increased exodus of young people from the Moor. An advisory network of 18 to 30-year-olds formed a charity, Exmoor Young Voices, appointed a Young Coordinator, set up a website, https://www.exmooryoungvoices.org/ and communications across social media every week, to tackle housing, digital communications, employment, childcare and travel issues, to help young workers and families sustain balanced village populations, schools and services, farming, local and environmental knowledge and experience. Leslie has lived on Exmoor since 1972