LEICESTERSHIRE HOMEBUILDER CREATES NEST BOXES FOR WILDLIFE TRUST

Barratt Developments recently held a volunteering day at Stephenson College to create bird and bat boxes for the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.

Jo Oliver and Phil Evans of Barratt Developments’ HR department are pictured presenting bird and bat boxes to Andy Neilson of LRWT at Altar Stones Nature Reserve, Markfield

Team members from the leading housebuilder’s HR department hosted the volunteering day at the college in Coalville and, with the help of the teaching staff, made over 70 nest boxes from timber donated by Jewson, the college and also using recycled materials from across Barratt sites.

The activity raised £630 through the sale of the nest boxes and donations and this was doubled by match funding from The Barratt Foundation to make a £1,260 donation to the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.

Activities such as these with Stephenson College come as part of Barratt Developments’ commitment to supporting wildlife on developments and celebrating its national partnership with the RSPB.

Phil Evans, Grants and Funding Manager at Barratt Developments, said: “We thoroughly enjoyed creating the bird and bat boxes for the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and we’d like to thank everyone involved in helping to raise a great amount of money for the Trust.”

The volunteering day came off the back of National Nest Box Week (14th – 21st February) which aims to encourage more people to help garden birds by putting up nest boxes.

When looking to place a nest box in a garden, it’s important to find a sheltered, shady location, preferably facing north through east to south-east to avoid prevailing winds and strong direct sunlight. Nest boxes also need to be kept out of reach of cats and other predators.

There are many ways that residents in the county can help the birds in their garden, such as providing a regular supply of clean water by using a bird bath, providing nestboxes and putting the right bird seed out including flaked maize and sunflower hearts.