AN access scheme for disabled people at Queen Elizabeth Country Park and the installation of a biomass boiler at the internationally-renowned Edward Barnsley workshop are just two projects which have been boosted by a new fund for green projects in the South East. In its first year, the fund succeeded in getting more than 180 environmentally-friendly, community- focused and economically-beneficial projects off the ground. A total of £883,000 of sustainable development funding helped create projects in the 10 areas of outstanding natural beauty in the region, including East Hamsphire. Alan Law, a Natural England director for the South East, said: "Natural England manages this scheme, using the funding to help create a sustainable way of life for people living in areas of finest countryside. "Areas of outstanding natural beauty prosper when communities work together to support the local economy and care for the sensitive and unique environment. "In a rapidly-evolving and ever-encroaching modern world, it's great to see so many people- powered projects working for a healthy and sustainable natural environment. This helps us look at future challenges and the measures needed to protect our treasured landscapes." He added: "Including the New Forest and the South Downs, which has been designated as a national park, protected landscapes cover one-third of the South East of England. "These landscapes are a unique resource, beautiful and tranquil, for all to enjoy, in an increasingly pressurised region." The "I Can" project, which was launched at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park at Gravel Hill, near Petersfield, last May, means that people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities can now fully access two sites in Hampshire – the country park and the Sustainability Centre at East Meon. The South Downs Association of Disabled People was given funding to buy powered wheelchairs and palm-top computers for the hearing impaired. It has also covered the cost of disability awareness training and mobile-phone guided walks at each site for the visually impaired. The Edward Barnsley Trust, which runs a furniture workshop at Froxfield, has also benefitted from the new sustainable development funding. It part- funded the installation of a wood-fuel boiler. Apart from the students that attend the workshop, they also hold a number of open days throughout the year, illustrating to a wide variety of students and visitors the benefits of wood-fuel heating in reducing climate change gases, and helping to sustain the local landscape through woodland management.
