Gift to Nature » Fundraising

Diamond Isle Star Fundraiser

Sam — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:50:58 +0000

Diamond Isle is one of Gift to Nature’s most successful members, so far Paul has raised £1,349.11 by asking for voluntary donations from the visitors who watch his and Kitty’s captivating glass blowing demonstrations.

Paul supports the Troll Trail and Merstone Station Meadow, his donations have helped pay for meadow management, nesting boxes for the threatened Grey Wagtail replacing Elms lost to Dutch Elm Disease. There are also installations for people too, picnic benches and intriguing art all along the Troll Trail amuse and inform people as they travel. For more on the Troll Trail click here

Visit Paul’s website for a taster of what he can create here

Arboreal Antics

Tracy — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:24:47 +0000

No your eyes didn’t deceive you if you happened to be strolling along Appley seafront last Sunday – that WAS a 6 foot squirrel up in the trees.

Goodleaf Tree Climbing’s launch of their Appley climbing season (every Sunday during July and August 11am - 4pm) saw adults and kids having fun scaling the heights and joining in the Gift to Nature bug-hunting walk led by Ian Boyd.

Ian was also earlier seen up a tree waving a net around – it’s ok though, he wasn’t waving for help, but looking for bugs only to be found in the tree canopy!

A big Thank You to Paul and Abi of Goodleaf for supporting Gift to Nature!

Chips, comedy and Squirrels!

Tracy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:28:48 +0000

We’re lucky to have fantastic Business Fundraising Members and for 2010 we’d like to highlight every month some of the great ways they are raising funds, and encouraging or promoting Island wildlife at their sites. To start this off are Corries Cabin and Rosemary Cottage B&B – if any of our other business members would like to send in an update on what they’ve been up to on behalf of Gift to Nature that would be much appreciated!

Richard Quigley owns and runs 2 fish and chip shops – Corries Cabin in Shooters Hill, Cowes and Corries Cabin in Oakfield High Street, Ryde. We asked him recently about his involvement as a Gift to Nature Business fundraising member;
“For over 18 months Corries Cabin has been a member of Gift to Nature. Our involvement started following a local press report about what they did. As we own businesses that rely on the local community, it made perfect sense to support them. One of the fundraising events we have in the shops is a week where 50p from every meal goes to a selected charity. In 2009 Gift to Nature was one of them. I also perform stand-up comedy so was more than happy to perform and compere the recent Twestival in aid of Gift to Nature. We all need to do at least a little bit to protect the fantastic environment we have on the Isle of Wight and Gift to Nature is a good way of doing this.”

Over in Newchurch, David Hughes, who runs Rosemary Cottage B&B has recently put up 3 Squirrel Feeders in the B&B’s garden and diligently keeps these fully stocked with hazelnuts. And David’s efforts have paid off, with squirrel visitors to all the feeders on a daily basis! David has been poised waiting to snap a squirrel in nut-munching mode, but as soon as he reaches for a camera they’re gone! But as soon as one is available we’ll post it up ……..in the meantime here’s one we prepared earlier.

Huge thanks to all of the iowtwestival team – What a night!

Sam — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:58:45 +0000

Photo Courtesy of Mark Thirlwall

The first ever Isle of Wight Twestival voted to support Gift to Nature with a comedy and cocktails night. Check out the iowtwestival website for photos of the night and your chance to buy any of the images – all proceeds to Gift to Nature. Gift to Nature would like to say a huge thank to all those that made the night possible, this includes the whole iowtwestival team who generously gave their time and skills for months leading up to the event. We would also like to thank all of the musicians, comedians and DJs who performed for free. Also the Black Sheep bar who not only provided the venue for free but also the most excellent complimentary cocktails and tasty (yet ever so slight medicine like) blue shots. Thanks to Island printers who printed the tickets and posters for free. We also send out a huge thanks to all of those generous businesses and individuals who provided raffle prizes particularly Son of Leek Rabbit who has found a new home where he will be well cared for. And finally thanks to all of those who bought tickets and took part in the auction, you made the night an fantastic success.

Woolverton -our favourite show of the year – come say hello

Sam — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:17:35 +0000

We made it to Wolverton despite finding that our display kit was all barricaded behind Heras fencing as part of our building’s (we share with Vestas) defence measures. But the show will go on and a washing line of our favourite photos and pics of our members did us proud today. If you are visiting Wolverton tomorrow (worth it just for Last Orders) please come and say hello, Martin and Lin will be manning the stand.

A Comedy and Cocktail night for Gift to Nature

Sam — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 10:19:29 +0000

We are all very excited about the upcoming Twesitval, especially when they voted Gift to Nature as the charity to benefit from the event. Come and join us for a fantastic night of comedy and live music.

Where: Black Sheep in Ryde, IW

When: 12th September 2009

How much: £10 in advance or £12 on the door. Get tickets here

Lineup:

Music: Twestival DJs
Music: acoustic live set from Ben Fiddle
Comedy: Richard Quigley
Auction: a charity auction with some amazing lots to bid for… more details soon.
Comedy: Ric Wharton (student comedian of the year) One of the biggest names in student comedy today – live on the Isle of Wight!

The Really Green Holiday Company

Martin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:23:42 +0000

For a unique holiday on the Isle of Wight you might want to take a look at Gift to Nature member “The Really Green Holiday Company“. Their take on a self catering holiday is quite different to anything I’ve come across before, offering a range of yurts and bell tents sited in the beautiful orchards at Afton Park. TRGHC are keen to look for as many ways of keeping your holiday green as possible, from composting loos (no they don’t smell, I have checked!) to ferry pick up and bike hire options so you can leave your car at home or at the port. They saw membership of Gift to Nature as an obvious way to give their visitors a chance to give something back to the Island and help maintain the captivating beauty of the Isle of Wight. You’re just a short bike ride or a moderate walk away from the Gift to Nature site at Totland too (One Horse Field).

The Really Green Holiday Company ask their visitors to make a contribution to Gift to Nature for every basket of logs or bag of charcol used during their holiday. These are provided at no charge to guests, so we hope if you visit you will be as generous as your hosts!

Diamond Geezer at the Barns

Sam — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:39:19 +0000

Paul Critchley has raised over a thousand pounds for Gift to Nature with his froggy collection box. After each glass sculpting demonstration he asks the audience to make a contribution to charity. This has been a fantastic fundraising method and made Diamond Isle our first Gold Level Fundraiser. www.sculptured-glass.co.uk

Chips for Charity

Sam — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:41:33 +0000

Corries Cabin (a new Gift to Nature member this year) held a Fishy Fundraiser last week, where 50p from each sale was donated to charity, which this year includes Gift to Nature. “The event is always well supported” said owner Richard Quigley “but people have said they cannot always make it to the shop on that particular day, so we have decided to run it for the week, so that everyone that comes in can contribute.” The Gift to Nature team popped in for chips and the best pea fritters on the Island.

Sandmansnowman

Sam — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:21:52 +0000

Every year in February we choose a beach and head out armed with carrots and bits of coal to create our little temporary community of Sandmen and women. The sun invariably shines down on us and this year was no different, though we were also able to make the real things this year when we had a short sprinkling of snow.