A community collaboration supported by The Adnams Community Trust

The Adnams Community Trust provides small grants to help charities and worthy causes within 25 miles of Southwold. One of the initiatives supported in 2018 involved a project designed to improve the environment for wildlife whilst building strong communities. Centre Manager Bob Beard and students at Nexus Engineering Training Centre (a social enterprise company) designed and built laser-cut bird nesting boxes to supply free of charge to community groups local to the Great Yarmouth area. The Adnams Community Trust provided a grant of £397 for Nexus to purchase the materials needed for the boxes.

Some of the completed nesting boxes were then erected in the woods surrounding the industrial estate where Nexus is located by Great Yarmouth Green Gym (GYGG), an independent nature conservation group run by volunteers. The group installed the nest boxes in the woods to provide roosting and nesting sites for blue tits, great tits and other small bird species. Nest boxes were also supplied to nurseries within the Great Yarmouth Community Trust, of which Nexus is part, to encourage the young children to take a greater interest in the outdoors and wildlife. A number of the boxes were left unpainted to allow children to choose colours and create a design. Boxes were also installed in other woodland areas to provide additional wildlife habitat. The project benefited a number of community groups as well as helping provide homes and a safe refuge for birds.

What is the Adnams Community Trust?
The Adnams Community Trust was established in 1990 and awards modest grants to good causes within 25 miles of Southwold. It is funded through mandated dividends, donations, legacies and 1% of Adnams annual profits as well as fund-raising activities. Since its creation, it has donated well over one-million pounds to benefit local communities and the environment. You can find out more about the Adnams Community Trust here.

About Nexus
Nexus is part of the Great Yarmouth Community Trust and is a purpose-built training centre fitted with specialist industry-standard equipment. Working with the engineering sector, Nexus designs and delivers formal engineering qualifications to local secondary schools to train the next generation of engineers. Nexus also carries out STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) enrichment activities.