Grant success at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre
WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre has been successful in receiving funding from the Lancashire County Council, Local Member Grant Scheme to bring care home residents to Martin Mere for free.
Over the past month, care home residents from all over West Lancashire have been coming to Martin Mere for an experience to help improve their health and wellbeing as well as being educational. They have had guided walks, had talks on the otters, beavers or swans and simply relaxed outdoors. Pictured are some residents from Stocks Hall Residential Home along with Councillor May Blake and Ellie Wooldridge from Martin Mere.
Centre Manager, Andy Wooldridge, said: “We have undertaken research that has shown that spending time in the natural environment has a positive effect on mental health, blood pressure, cholesterol, outlook on life and stress-reduction. When we heard about this grant we thought that it was an ideal opportunity to assist care homes in finding the financial support to take residents out on visits that can make a positive difference to their wellbeing and also be mentally stimulating in a safe environment. We have had fantastic support from the county council and the care homes and we hope this is the start of a long term project to bring vulnerable adults to Martin Mere for free.”
If you would like to get involved in this scheme, please call Victoria on 01704 891240 or email info.martinmere@wwt.org.uk
WWT Martin Mere is open every day from 9.30am to 5.30pm and parking is free of charge. Situated off the A59, it is signposted from the M61, M58 and M6. The Centre is also accessible via the Southport to Manchester and the Liverpool to Preston line by train from Burscough Rail Stations. Visit the web site http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit/martinmere/ to find out what’s on all year round at Martin Mere and the other eight centres.
