About Us

We want to preserve and enhance the biodiversity in our area and learn more about what wildlife we have around us.

We are a group of people living in the vicinity of Ascot who are interested in supporting our local wildlife.

We are now a Registered Charity, Number 1176743

Wildlife in Ascot started in May 2012 when 3 concerned local people got together to think about what could be done to protect wildlife living in our community and try to ensure it survived.

We hold talks, make walks, carry out conservation activities and take action to improve our area for wildlife.

We are working to fulfil the biodiversity project objectives in our Neighbourhood Plan.

Email ascot.wildlife@gmail.com to find out how you can get involved!

Our Mission

Taking responsibility for protecting and encouraging wildlife in and around Ascot

We are living in a special place where we have a lot of amazing creatures all around us, but they need your help to be able to stay and survive here.

Continued development of the area, coupled with a lack of knowledge and understanding is driving wildlife away.

We are setting up a local community initiative to help us all learn about how we can use our garden spaces more effectively. We want to learn from each other and from outside experts.

Wildlife havens are vital for protecting the environment and people can make a difference in their own gardens.

Anne Ayres, Co-founder of Wildlife in Ascot said: "People can do as little or as much as they want - we want to get as many people involved as we can because we have to do something to protect what we have."

Our Goals

We want to create good habitats and still have beautiful gardens.

We want to have fun, get to know our neighbours and learn about the world on our doorstep.

We want to manage the “Green corridors” in our area which we have succeeded in getting recognised in our neighbourhood plan.

We want to improve the eco-system of our area by highlighting opportunities and raising concerns as necessary to try to ensure that future development does not have a negative impact on the environment and enhances habitats where possible.

We want to implement the biodiversity projects identified in our Ascot, Sunninghill & Sunningdale Neighbourhood Plan.

Extract from page 80 section 9.5 in the plan: (full plan available here)

PROJECT – PROTECTING AND IMPROVING BIODIVERSITY

To encourage and support the aims and activities of the Wildlife in Ascot group

which include to:

  • Work with SPAE (Society for the Protection of Ascot and its Environs), Sunninghill & Ascot Parish Council’s Voluntary Biodiversity Officer and the Borough to consider how best to include greater focus on biodiversity in the planning process

  • Collect data about the biodiversity of our area and what exists that needs to be protected, including surveys of breeding House Sparrows, Swifts and ancient trees and the potential for creating “Pocket Parks”

  • Organise social events, walks, talks and demonstrations to engage local residents more in our natural habitat and wildlife

  • Direct action such as:

    • Conservation work

    • Working with landowners who have green corridors going through their land with a view to trying to get these listed as nature reserves in the future

    • Working with homeowners to encourage them to use their gardens as stepping stones for wildlife

How we operate

  • We are a Registered Charity (Number 1176743) with 7 local trustees. Everyone is a volunteer.

  • Everyone interested in our goals may join our email distribution list. Please email us at ascot.wildlife@gmail.com to be added to this list.

  • Anyone on the distribution list is welcome to join the core team who plan activities and organise events.

  • Anyone on the distribution list is welcome to run specific projects or activities if they prefer to do this rather than be involved in the overall administration and planning of our group. Just let us know.

  • We send out emails about events and projects to everyone on the distribution list.

  • The website is used to:

    • inform people about relevant events organised by Wildlife in Ascot and other groups in the area.

    • provide a place where people can record sightings of fauna and flora in our area so we know what biodiversity exists here. Records are sent to TVERC annually.

    • give links to a range of resources (websites, pages and specific documents) which may be useful or of interest to people identifying, protecting or improving habitats for fauna and flora in our area.

  • There is no annual subscription at present and money is collected at events to cover costs - any donations are used to cover the costs of implementing projects. We are all volunteers.

  • We work as part of our Neighbourhood Plan Delivery Group to deliver the biodiversity objectives of the plan.

Privacy Notice

We collect email addresses and postcodes from our supporters so that we can inform you about relevant local events and opportunities to get involved and contact people if there is a question or concern related to a specific location. Your personal information will only be used for these purposes. We will not share your details with any other organisation. If you no longer wish to receive emails from us then please let us know at ascot.wildlife@gmail.com