The Landscape Partnership Scheme (LPS) is the big partnership funding bid that the AONB has been leading on. It focuses on landscape challenges (beech hedges, archaeological monuments, etc) and on the two sides of the access coin, managing the impact of visitors on the most popular sites but also making the most of the health and wellbeing potential that the area offers, particularly for the Bridgwater and Taunton communities on our doorstep who don’t currently come here. Development is well underway now – we need to submit the full bid next July, but that means having the budget and projects locked down by Easter.

So far I’ve been concentrating on making contacts in the communities in and around the Quantocks, and generally getting to know the area and the groups that are already active here. We ran a pilot event with a Youth Unlimited from Bridgwater over 1 – 3rd August, taking a group of young people rockpooling and on a walk in the Holford combes - feedback was very positive indeed. I particularly loved the way they christened the biggest crab they caught “Julie” after their youth worker; “because she’s the boss!”.

I’ll be spending more time on the practical projects in the next few months, working up the restoration proposals and the volunteering programme (there will be lots of new opportunities to get involved).

We are planning a major stakeholder meeting, with as wide an audience as possible, for Tuesday 5th February, so if you’re interested in having a hand in shaping the project please put the date in your diary.

Meanwhile visit https://www.quantockhills.com/reimagining-the-manor-scheme or contact wjenman@somerset.gov.uk to find out more!