UP! - North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

munities and businesses
a service for the village but we hope will also
give Hampstead Norreys a fresh social focal
point. It’s something that involves the whole
village – it’s the village’s shop, built and
managed by local people, selling local
produce for everyone to enjoy.”
The Betts are not the only local family
being assisted by LEADER aiming to sustain
future business activities within the AONB.
Gary and Sarah McMurray, together with
their daughter, son and daughter-in-law, have
formed the Three Trees Farm partnership near
Chiseldon and received a grant for a
processing facility to sell meat boxes.
Philip and Julia Walters and their son
Edward are upgrading their traditional turkey
business with improved processing
equipment and new online sales IT.
Frank Haighton at Netherton got a grant for
a forestry tractor and firewood processor. His
son Jack, currently studying forest
management, hopes to join his father’s
forestry business on completion of his college
studies.
Mike and Gill Rowlands have recently
started the Seasoned Timber Company of
Hungerford. Mike and his son Ollie carry out
the woodland management and produce
seasoned hardwood logs, kindling and
planked timber. Gill is in charge of marketing
and keeps the accounts.
Frank Haighton (checked shirt) at the installation of
his LEADER-funded forestry equipment
Other projects supported by LEADER:
Conservation of heritage
St Andrew’s Church, Boxford; St Michael’s and
All Angels’ Church, Letcombe Bassett –
restoration and refurbishment (see page 9).
Community facilities/activities
Bradfield Southend Community Shop –
establishment of Post Office
Milton Lilbourne Village Hall – environmentally
friendly heating system
Morrell Room, Streatley – refurbishment
Northmoor Trust , Little Wittenham – children’s
food festival
Springline Community Theatre, East Hendred –
lighting improvements
Streatley Recreation Ground – all-weather
surface for ball games
Want to apply for a
LEADER cash grant?
LEADER is European money provided to
help the rural economy and sustainability at
a local level through the Rural Development
Programme for England (RDPE).
“We have roughly £400,000 available
each year to distribute, so we are keen to
hear about innovative and sustainable
projects that fall within at least one of the
four LEADER Programme themes,” says
LEADER Programme Manager Corinna
Woodall.
For further information contact:
corinna.woodall@wiltshire.gov.uk or call
01488 680456 or view
www.northwessexleader.org.uk
Farm and rural business support
Camilla and Roly Puzey, Little Wittenham –
equipment for Farmers’ Markets and on-farm
events
Cosypaws Cattery, East Garston – construction
of cattery pens
EJM Tree Services, Shaw – new forestry trailer
Porchester Farms, Highclere – equipment for
horse oats processing
RN Edwards, Egbury – GPS system for accurate
nutrient management
Thomas Owen, Stoke – acquisition of forestry
equipment
Wessex Biofuels, Hungerford – forestry
equipment for business start-up
West Berkshire Brewery, Yattendon – reedbed
creation for effluent management. ■
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