Your friends are fundraising. Don't miss out, opt in.

We did it!

Mary Parnwell raised £11,865 from 211 supporters

or

Start your own crowdfunding page

Closed 29/04/2022

0%
£11,865
raised of £15,000 target by 211 supporters

    Iʼve raised £11,865 to create a nature reserve as a living memorial to Madeleine Parnwell.

    Warboys, Cambs, United Kingdom
    Funded on Friday, 29th April 2022

    Don't have time to donate right now?

    Story

    On the night of the 13th December 2017, our beloved Mum, Madeleine Parnwell died in a tragic road accident when her car inexplicably left the road and became submerged within a Fenland drain near to her home.

    Madeleine loved the natural world and nature. She lived and worked alongside nature, and was a strong supporter and believer in protecting wildlife and improving the environment. She and dad both imparted a wonder in all their children and grandchildren for the natural world, and so dedicated to her memory, we are acquiring land to begin the creation of a new nature reserve.

    Over the next couple of years we will turn a plot of intensively farmed arable land with limited biodiversity into 'Madeleine’s Patch' - a haven of new life. It will be a living landscape legacy created in her name for perpetuity to inspire a joy for nature for generations to come.

    We will be fundraising over the next year to bring this vision into a reality, taking part in a variety of events to raise money for this project.

    Our vision for Madeleine’s Patch includes:

    Conservation: creating new habitats to support increasingly threatened resident and migratory species - bees and butterflies will flourish on wildflower margins, otters and water voles in the ditches and reptiles and newts will shelter in newly created hibernacula - a place where these creatures can seek refuge, especially where such features are absent, or where traditional hibernation and refuge sites have been degraded.

    A newly created pond and wet scrapes will benefit a wide variety of flora and fauna. An area will be managed for turtle doves - a species that has seen a 91% UK population decline since 1995.

    Education: people will be able to visit Madeleine’s Patch and it will be used as an open-air classroom for local schools, conservationists and research students alike.

    Reflection: most importantly it will be a quiet place for tranquil reflection with stunning views of sunrises and sunsets across the vast openness of the Fenland landscape.

    This project will take several years to evolve but even in year one we expect to see improvements. The idea has captured the imagination of a lot of people who knew Madeleine and several locally respected conservationists, as well as local and national conservation bodies, have offered to provide advice.

    Whilst our family is donating the money to the land acquisition, there will of course be ongoing costs to maximise the benefits we can achieve. So, to turn the dream into a vibrant reality, we need your help. Any donation is greatly appreciated, no matter how small, and we would also love for you to join us in the practical creation of the reserve in preparing the ground, digging, planting and sowing.

    What your money will help provide:

    Machinery and operatives will be required to excavate the pond, cultivate the land and sow the wildflower meadow .

    Hedgerow plants and materials for the habitat and nest creation will need to be purchased, planted and built.

    We plan to have two beautiful benches created by a Fenland-based wood turner, one facing sunrise, one facing sunset, so that we and others can find a peaceful moment remembering mum under the immense Fenland skies.

    For the educational side of things, pond-dipping, water and soil-testing kits, torches for night-time surveying and other teaching aids/materials will be bought.

    If we exceed our target, then any extra funds will be used to contribute towards purchasing more land to create ‘stepping stones’ for wildlife across the arable landscape. Madeleine’s Patch is strategically placed as a central stepping stone between the highly protected Ouse and Nene Washes, the Great Fen, and several National Nature Reserves (NNRs) as well as locally designated nature reserves.

    We sincerely hope that other people elsewhere may be inspired to create similar patches within their own communities.

    We'd love to share the progress of the Patch with you, and as donors, we'll keep you updated through a blog, newsletter, and tweets. There will be special events for donors such as bat walks, moth trapping evenings (no moths harmed), small mammal surveys, mini-beast hunts and other, family-friendly nature events.

    Through all these positive benefits, and many more, the tragic loss of Madeleine’s life, taken from her so suddenly when she still had so much to give will be a real and tangible far-reaching thing, testifying by example to the ideals that Madeleine strived for in her daily life.

    Updates

    11

    • Mary Parnwell6 years ago
      Mary Parnwell

      Mary Parnwell

      6 years ago

      Thank you all so, so much! We are overwhelmed by all your generosity and warm wishes for us all, and we are over the moon that we are now over the £10,000 mark! We would love to thank you all personally but for those of you that wish to stay anonymous, please accept our humble gratitude from afar. Spring is here, and we look forward to sharing the next stages of Madeleine's Patch with you in the coming months. Huge, heartfelt thanks and best wishes from all the Parnwells x

      Share this update to help us raise more

    • Mary Parnwell7 years ago
      Mary Parnwell

      Mary Parnwell

      7 years ago

      "I did the 5K in just over one hour. It was a mixture of jogging, fast walk and slow walk. It was quite hard going as run was held in some manor grounds through sheep fields, mud, long grass and that was just the natural elements! In between they had 'fun' sections, ie soapy water slide, swim in lake (which I did) messy tent where they threw dry paint at you (which I went through) and various others which I gave them a miss. Got my medal at the end of the day and lots of action photos. It was a great day out.....Madeleine" (full version on FB)

      Share this update to help us raise more

    • Mary Parnwell7 years ago
      Mary Parnwell

      Mary Parnwell

      7 years ago

      We want to thank you all again for the money raised so far, it's been totally amazing! We are at just over £5,000 through the Just Giving page and approx another £4,000 that was been donated directly to the dedicated bank account. It is going to be a slow process in getting The Patch to where we want it, but this money will help so much. So over to Mum now for the final word Lots of love xx

      Update from the Page owner

      Share this update to help us raise more

    7 years ago

    Mary Parnwell started crowdfunding

    Leave a message of support

    Page last updated on: 8/14/2021 19.21

    Supporters

    211

    • Anonymous

      Anonymous

      Aug 14, 2021

      £20.00

    • Judy and Rich

      Judy and Rich

      Aug 14, 2021

      Thank you for showing us around Madeleine’s Patch and your beautiful garden today, it’s a wonderful place.

      £20.00

    • Pete and Alison

      Pete and Alison

      Aug 14, 2021

      £25.00

    • Janette Knowler

      Janette Knowler

      Aug 14, 2021

      Wonderful place to visitThankyou

      £20.00

    • Andy and Janet

      Andy and Janet

      Aug 10, 2021

      Thank you for this sanctuary, which is for people as well as for wildlife. Perching on a bog oak, surrounded by flowers, watching a tawny owl in the orange sunset. Simple pleasures, and so important.

      £15.00

    • Mark Middleton

      Mark Middleton

      Feb 4, 2021

      Thank you for your continued support and friendship.Mark and Fiona

      £300.00

    • Sharon Dence

      Sharon Dence

      Jan 26, 2021

      What a wonderful legacy ❤️

      £10.00

    What is crowdfunding?

    Crowdfunding is a new type of fundraising where you can raise funds for your own personal cause, even if you're not a registered charity.

    The page owner is responsible for the distribution of funds raised.

    Great people make things happen

    Do you know anyone in need or maybe want to help a local community cause?

    Create you own page and donʼt let that cause go unfunded!

    About Crowdfunding
    About the fundraiser
    Mary Parnwell

    Mary Parnwell

    Warboys, Cambs, United Kingdom

    Report this Page