MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Publication

October 31st 2021

Bold Step Taken for Nature’s Recovery in Mid Wales

Radnorshire Wildlife Trust has completed its purchase of 164-acre Pentwyn Farm in Mid Wales. 

Pentwyn, a long-established livestock farm near Llanbister Road in Powys, will now be transformed into a haven for re-establishing wildlife. 

Finance for the purchase has been loaned by a group of private investors who share a passion for enabling the reinstatement of wildlife on nature-depleted sites.  The group is headed by Julia Davies, the founder of an environmental fund called We Have the POWER. 

She said: “We are in a climate and biodiversity crisis and myself and the other lenders are investing in our families’ future by helping charities like Radnorshire Wildlife Trust buy land and restore its biodiversity and sequester carbon.   This is a truly inspirational site and we are so pleased to have been able to help restore it to nature and people.”

RWT’s Chief Executive James Hitchcock explained: “As well as managing the land extensively for wildlife, we will be looking for opportunities to create jobs and involve the local community.  We have started to develop our vision for the land and raise funds to re-pay the loan.  

“We hope the site will showcase what is possible as we move into the new payment system post Brexit for land, where public benefits such as clean air, soil, water, and increased wildlife will all be favoured.”

Initial steps on the land will include the development of scrub and the strategic planting of trees to create shelter.  Some grazing animals will be kept, carefully chosen to help increase flowering plant species in the grassland.  

The Trust is currently advertising for a business development manager for the site, described by Mr Hitchcock as “A fantastic opportunity for someone to join us for 2 years and help make our vision a reality.” 

Jenny Chryss RWT Chair, said: “Radnorshire is the smallest Wildlife Trust on the UK mainland, yet thanks to the generosity of Julia and her fellow lenders we have been able to make this hugely exciting purchase.  We look forward to working with our neighbours, local farmers and landowners, and we hope that visitors to Pentwyn will leave with a lasting memory of what we made possible for wildlife, community, and people.”

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Background Information and References:

The lenders

Julia Davies made her wealth through the sale of outdoor equipment company Osprey Europe which she co-founded.  Through her environmental fund “We Have the POWER” she has developed a mechanism known as “Patient Loan Finance” to help conservation groups acquire land quickly when it comes on the market, giving them time to raise funds once the land is secured. 

Other lenders in the group include Nick Marple and Andrew MacKay.   Nick Marple and Sophie Roberts are co-founders of the Marple Charitable Trust, a human rights charity.  The couple’s wider charitable work covers mainly the climate and humanitarian sectors at home and abroad, particularly the expansion of education for girls in Ghana.  

Andrew is a lawyer and businessman who co-founded Armac Capital. He also provides financial backing for small start-up companies or entrepreneurs.    He has begun impact investing in environmentally or socially responsible companies including those involved in vertical farming and Green Bonds. He says it was his children, particularly his 16-year-old-daughter, who encouraged him to become more environmentally aware. 

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Radnorshire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity, part of the federation of 46 Wildlife Trusts working across the UK to protect and restore nature, inspiring people to connect and take action for wildlife.  We have over 1000 members and currently manage 18 nature reserves covering over 400Ha of land. 

People can apply for the role of development manager here:

Pentwyn Development Manager | Radnorshire Wildlife Trust (rwtwales.org)

For further information please contact James Hitchcock on: 07949 828589 or james@rwtwales.org.

Visit https://www.rwtwales.org to read RWT’s previous press releases and sign up for RWT’s e-newsletter, donate or join online.