Harrogate woodlands boost: Extra £20,000 raised in less than a week for Long Lands Common

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Having smashed the original £300,000 target after only four months of community share sales and a big publicity campaign involving hundreds of volunteers in Harrogate and Knaresborough, supporters of Long Lands Common set a new goal:

Reaching a new target of £375,000 by December 20 to fund the infrastructure projects that will be needed to transform the 30 acres of empty farmland between Harrogate and Knaresborough into a publicly-accessible woodland and green space as quickly as possible.

Since last week's announcement by volunteers that Long Lands Common was definitely happening and the had enough money to buy the land, public support has flooded in.

Any further monies raised from share sales, between now and the definite closing date of December 20, will be used to fund the infrastructure projects that Long lands Common is going to need to become a public nature reserve, accessible to all, particularly a new entrance to the site directly from the Nidderdale Greenway.

On top of that, the Long Lands Common committeee are currently working on the gift share applications database to organise and prioritise the printing of gift share certificates to get them out to you in time for Christmas.

To enable people to manage the surprise, it is their intention to deliver the gift certificates to the buyer's address for them to then pass on to the recipient as a Christmas gift.

Anyone intending to buy extra shares as gifts for Christmas is advised not to leave it until the last minute.

In addition, the message is to buy gift shares for Christmas within the next week, before December 6, to guarantee delivery on time.

In terms of the Children's Certificates for Long Lands Common, we are intending to mail out generic certificates that can be personalised with messages from the applicant, before they are passed onto children as gifts for Christmas.

Anybody still wanting to become a shareholder in Long Lands Common and help towards the new target can buy shares online at www.longlandscommon.org or phone 01423 560283 to request a paper application form.

Shares cost £1 each and the minimum investment is £50, which buys a lifetime membership and shareholding that you can pass on to future generations to help protect our greenbelt long into the future.

Shares can be bought as gifts for friends and family.

Shareholders must be over 16. Organisations can also become shareholders providing they are incorporated.

The share sale will definitely close on December 20, 2020.

Long Lands Common committee member Rick Brewis, who owns land elsewhere in the Nidd Gorge area, said setting up the woodlands was about more than just preventing any risk of a new relief road “spoiling” the area.

Mr Brewis said: “After we won the battle to stop a relief road near Nidd Gorge last year, 30 acres of land belonging to a neighbouring farmer came up for sale.

"We thought if we could buy that and plant a community woodland it would stop the road idea from being raised again and create something for future generations in Harrogate and Knaresborough to enjoy.

“When I found out we had hit the original £300,000 target, I thought “crickey, that’s fantastic”.

"People have been so generous. We’ve even received donations from people abroad.

“Let’s keep it up and hit our new target and get on with it!”

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