How to be a forest Friend and help save Bedgebury National Pinetum

Bedgebury National Pinetum, one of our finest outdoor attractions, is facing closure following cut backs in funding from the Forestry Commission.

 

Conservation projects, education programmes and vital tree work necessary to keep the attraction open for visitors are all at risk.

 

The Friends of Bedgebury, the charity which maintains this historical site, have launched an appeal to increase the amount of annual memberships, which provide the important funding needed to support the Pinetum and vital projects, ensuring it remains open for future generations to enjoy.  

The Friends are asking visitors and supporters to take out a Friends Membership either when they next visit or by going to the website and downloading an application form www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk

 

The current round of budget cuts means the Forestry Commission has indicated that the current education programme, the conifer conservation projects and the necessary tree work required to keep the Pinetum safe for visitors to enjoy are all at risk.

 

Increasing the membership will provide the Friends of Bedgebury charity with the necessary funds to support the conifer conservation work and continue with the education programme which is currently enjoyed by more than 4,000 school children annually, including children with special needs.  Increased membership will also enable the Friends to increase the number of travel bursaries available to schools from deprived areas.

 

Secretary of the Friends of Bedgebury Malcolm Dove said “We are very proud of the education programme offered at Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest which has recently been awarded a ‘Growing Schools Garden Award’  by the Department for Education, FACE (Farming and Countryside Education), Growing Schools and BGEN (Botanic Garden Education Network) for its high quality education provision.

 

“By increasing our membership, we will have extra funds available to support the education programme enjoyed by so many school children as well as support the important conifer conservation work carried out at Bedgebury National Pinetum.

 

“Our membership currently stands at 2,500 and we would like to grow this substantially to ensure the Pinetum can fund projects that will help this wonderful visitor attraction remain open for all to enjoy.”

 

The conifer collection, which was established in 1925, is now recognised as the most complete collection of conifers on one site anywhere in the world.  The collection has over 10,000 trees including rare, endangered and historically important specimens – 56 are vulnerable or critically endangered.  The collection houses five NCCPG Plant Collections.  Bedgebury is a living gene bank for conifers that grow in temperate zones and the 2,300 different species of conifer include the tallest tree in Kent as well as the three tallest Leyland Cypresses in the UK.

 

When you visit Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest and purchase a membership your car parking fee is refunded.  Car parking is currently £8.

 

There are three different types of annual membership starting at £20 for an associate member which offers one free visit and copies of the Bedgebury Journal.  Associate membership is ideal for anybody who is unable to visit regularly.  A standard membership is £50 with free entry and parking for a year and allows unlimited access to all the facilities at Bedgebury - including the Pinetum, the cycle trails and the children's play area.  A gold member can enjoy free entry to Bedgebury, Kew Gardens, RHS Wisley, Wakehurst Place, Westonbirt Arboretum, Borde Hill Gardens, The Living Rainforest Birmingham Botanic Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Garden Organic and Castle Howard Gardens.  A gold membership is £56 per person and £8 for every additional named family member. Or you can simply just make a one off donation to the Friends.

 

Memberships also include subscription to the Bedgebury Journal, published twice annually, and frequent email newsletters - so come on Tonbridge People, help the Friends save this wonderful local treasure.