Celebrating the great and the good
Every year, BASC presents a number of prestigious honours and awards, celebrating those who go the extra mile for the benefit of shooting and conservation.
Legacy bequest gives Wentloog wildfowlers a boost
Wentloog Wildfowling and Conservation Association has received a boost from a legacy bequest to the BASC Wildlife Fund, helping to repay part of the loan awarded to the association in 2024.
The original loan from the BASC Wildlife Fund supported Wentloog Wildfowling and Conservation Assoication’s (WWCA) purchase of 932 acres of mudflats and salt marsh foreshore at Wentloog on the South Wales coast. The land acquisition marked a major step in securing the future of sustainable wildfowling in the region, while also protecting vital coastal habitat for wildlife.
The £5,000 bequest – ringfenced for the purchase of mudflats and salt marshes – has now been formally directed to WWCA to reduce their outstanding balance on the loan. This generous contribution highlights the important role that legacies can play in supporting long-term conservation and land stewardship projects led by BASC members, affiliated clubs and syndicates.
Progress on the ground
The Wentloog site is already the focus of significant conservation activity. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) last year installed a series of polders across the foreshore to improve water quality and restore saltmarsh habitat. This work was made possible through collaboration with WWCA – an example of effective partnership working between statutory agencies and the wildfowling community.
Dr Matt Ellis, BASC’s executive director of conservation, said: “This bequest has come at a perfect time to ease the financial burden of a major conservation project. It’s a powerful reminder of how legacies left to the BASC Wildlife Fund can make a lasting difference, supporting responsible land management and safeguarding shooting for future generations.”
Dr Mat Holloway, secretary of WWCA, added: “We are very grateful to BASC and to the legacy donor whose generosity will directly help us meet our repayment commitments. Importantly, it also means that funds within the club which would have gone towards loan repayments can now be used to support future conservation and habitat restoration projects on the land.”
The BASC Wildlife Fund provides grants and loans to assist land purchase and grants for conservation projects linked to sustainable shooting. You can donate to the fund today here, or find out more about leaving a gift in your will to BASC here.
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