Bradford Urban Wildlife Group
Bradford Urban Wildlife Group
recording, observing and protecting Bradford wildlife & habitats
A message from the Friends of Bracken Hall Countryside Centre - January2016:
“Work is underway to convert the main building to B&B.
Although things on the Countryside Centre front haven’t been moving as quickly as we hoped, progress is being made. The classroom, toilets and garden are in use for Friends’ activities, school visits and other occasional events.
Baildon Town Council is in the process of setting up the exhibition room – a few old favourites to start with, working towards some exciting new displays.
We are planning to begin weekend events from 12-4pm.
We hope that over the weeks Baildon Town Council will be able to recruit sufficient volunteers to continue regular weekend opening. Contact BTC or call into the centre if you are interested in being part of the team.
Bracken Hall will be the top station for the Saltaire Heritage Weekend in April. Check out their website www.friendsofbrackenhall.org.uk , BTC website and www.facebook.com/FoBHCC for updates.
If anyone would like to organise an activity, walk or event for FoBHCC, please get in touch. Groups can book the facilities through BTC to hold group or public countryside events and we would love to see it being used to the full.”
Joy Smith, secretary, Friends of Bracken Hall Countryside Centre, secretary@friendsofbrackenhall.org.uk 07981 711091.
December 2014
Bracken Hall is to re-open as a countryside centre.
Baildon couple, Stuart and Sally Illingworth, have bought Bracken Hall and with support from Baildon Town Council have arranged for the activities at the Centre to continue. The classroom and garden will be on lease to Baildon Town Council at no cost.
The Council for its part will contribute to the funding of a paid superviser for the Centre.
At last Bracken Hall has a future as a countryside centre. It closed in early 2013 in a round of spending cuts by Bradford Council, and now is planned to re-open in 2015.
BUWG did not believe the Council would be richer, and felt Bradford would certainly be the poorer. as a result of the closure. We became involved in discussion to save the Centre, and encouraged the development of a "friends" group.
Joy Smith, a longstanding member of BUWG, and secretary of the Friends of Bracken Hall, told us " as Friends of Bracken Hall we have been running Wild Wednesday drop-in family activities and monthly walks from the Glen outside Bracken Hall, but thanks to the generosity of Stuart and Sally Illingworth, we will soon be able to have a countryside centre again."
Members of BUWG celebrated the news at their December meeting, and would like to thank the Illingworths; Baildon Town Council, especially Joe Ashton; and vitally the loyal band of volunteers who have kept the work of the Centre going. Since closure was proposed people with shared vision have worked for the best future for the Centre.
The BUWG newsletter includes a message from the Friends of Bracken Hall, giving an update on their progress.
See their website for more details.
Bracken Hall Archive
July 2013
Wild Wednesdays are back.
The friends of Bracken Hall with help from Baildon Town Council have arranged a series of summer events for children, meeting outside Bracken Hall countryside centre.
Unfortunately, the Centre itself remains unavailable during negotiations between Baildon Town Council and Bradford Council. The friends of Bracken Hall feel that ongoing events are a vital part of keeping the Centre viable.
Events run from 2–4pm on July 31st, August 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th. Children should be accompanied by an adult.
Please come along for wildlife themed fun and to show your support for the centre. BUWG members are particularly invited to attend on the 7th of August when Susan Stead will be helping to provide activities.
For further details please ring 07890916844.
March 2013
UPDATE - Volunteers needed.
Baildon Parish Council has agreed to support the ongoing existence and work of Bracken Hall Countryside Centre by providing funding and management support.
As previously reported, BUWG has had concerns for the future of Bracken Hall. In November the Council unveiled further planned budget cuts for spring 2013. The Regeneration and Culture Department of the Council were expected to save £23,000 through the closure of or transfer of ownership of Bracken Hall Countryside Centre.
Very little attempt was made by Council Officers to develop a viable ‘transfer’ of ownership of the building to the voluntary sector.
The Council intended to close the building unless an alternative owner and a viable business strategy for the future was found.
On behalf of BUWG, Susan Stead approached a number of other individuals and organisations, including Baildon Parish councillors. We were delighted when the parish councillors took up the issue of Bracken Hall. Joe Ashton, then chair of the parish council, arranged a meeting looking for volunteers to help to staff Bracken Hall.
Volunteers would be expected to give an hour or two of their time on a weekend rota. It is hoped that enough volunteers will be recruited that they would only be on the rota once every four to six weeks.
The initial plan involves only opening at weekends. We are not aware of any plans to continue work with schools or to run children's groups.
If you would like to volunteer please send your name and contact details to Susan Stead, who will forward them.
January 2013
We were invited by Maggie Pedley from Arts and Museums to a meeting at Bracken Hall on Wednesday 28th November together with Tony Stephens from the Culture Services and staff from Nell Bank.
On the same day the Council unveiled further planned budget cuts for spring 2013. The Regeneration and Culture Department of the Council are expected to save £23,000 through the closure of or transfer of ownership of Bracken Hall Countryside Centre.
The meeting called by Maggie Pedley was an attempt to find out from all of us present our position on being part of a ‘transfer’ of ownership of the building to the voluntary sector for a “peppercorn rent”.
The Council intends to close the building if we cannot find an alternative owner and a viable business strategy for the future.
This is a big ask of any organisation. While we do not dismiss any plan, there clearly need to be further meetings to involve other environmental and wildlife groups and organisations to in the process.
27 November 2012
Bracken Hall is to close in April unless a solution can be found. This blow has come in a new round of spending cuts proposed by Bradford Council.
We do not believe the Council will be richer, and Bradford will certainly be the poorer as a result of this closure.
The costs of closure have not been set against the benefits of retaining Bracken Hall. It provides an invaluable service which it would be costly to set up elsewhere. Families and schools have benefited from the provision.
They will now have to look elsewhere and, in the case of schools, either remove ecology trips from their timetable or pay for a similar experience outside the district, which means that resources are constantly flowing out of Bradford.
Already the facilities at Bracken Hall have been run down, and the expertise of staff has been carelessly thrown away.
BUWG has been invited to a meeting with representatives of the Council and the Forest of Bradford on 28 November 2012.
We do not have the resources to rescue Bracken Hall, and so must rely on the public to say this is a cut too far as our only tool to save and protect the service.
Please let us and the Council know your feelings about the loss of Bracken Hall.
e-mail councillor susan.hinchcliffe@bradford.gov.uk reponsible for Bracken Hall, tell us by clicking the "Contact us" button
September 2012
We have had various communications with Maggie Pedley, head of Arts and Museums.
There is now no full time nature officer at Bracken Hall Centre, and the flat above the Centre is empty. The Centre is run by the usual part-time front of house staff.
An exhibition is on as I write this based upon the Watershed Landscape Project on Ilkley Moor with photographs of the moor on display. Other than this at the moment there is very little evidence of any future activities at the Centre. We shall have to keep an eye on all that might take place. Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley, is closed until next year for regeneration.
Our thanks go to John Dallas for the support he gave our group during his time at the Centre and for his commitment to the promotion and well-being of the wildlife and environment of Bradford.
June 2012
We fear for the future success of the Centre.
We understand that the Council has made the resident curator redundant and intends to continue to staff the centre reception desk only. The Council says it is committed to increasing educational use of the centre but has not provided any reassurance on how this would happen.
The skeleton staffing proposed is certainly not adequate for this purpose. The local expertise of a resident curator has been discarded. The animals have had to be moved out, undermining the purpose of the centre.
The purpose of the changes is to save money. The reduced security of the building and grounds now no one is living there is likely to mean no cost saving is achieved. If there is a loss of income from visiting groups then we fear for the centre’s future.
We cannot see an easy way forward. It would be difficult to appoint another resident curator having made a present incumbent redundant but we will continue to work on securing the future of the centre, which has provided benefits for many Bradford families.
We would encourage people to make their feelings about the future of the centre known to local representatives, the Council and to us.