We are nearly there! Please help us raise the last £58,000 towards the

Ingrebourne Valley Heritage Appeal. We have just received the fantastic news

that the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded £736,000 to the Ingrebourne

Valley Heritage Centre. We have also been awarded £455,000 from Veolia

Havering Riverside Trust. We have now raised £1.8M from various grants and

donations. We need to raise the last £58,000 in cash to match the grants and

enable us to build the Heritage Centre.

Essex Wildlife Trust has been working on The Ingrebourne Heritage Centre for the last five years

and we are just £58,000 away from the project coming to fruition. The important Ingrebourne

Valley Heritage Centre will be built in Hornchurch Country Park and will enable many people to

appreciate the unique marshland landscape and special wildlife within this beautiful area. The

Ingrebourne marshes are one of the largest areas of remaining marshland within the Thames Gateway

 – making it not only unique but incredibly important for the 61 species of birds who regularly

breed in the area, including Redshank, Lapwing and Pochard. This wetland habitat is also home to

16 nationally scarce beetles, dragonflies, crickets and other insects. The Ingrebourne Valley is a haven

for wildlife and many visitors can also enjoy the wonderful but all-too-rare ‘plop’ as a Water Vole

enters the Ingrebourne River or the flash of blue as a Kingfisher dashes downstream.

The area is a historically important site as it used to be both a World War I and World War II

airfield. The Ingrebourne Valley Heritage Centre will enable all generations, including our

children to appreciate this fantastic park and marshland landscape. It will also be a great site

from which to educate young and old about two world wars and the history of the park as an

airfield during both. Essex Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers will inspire everyone who visits

about the heritage of this site and their important, remarkable, thriving Living Landscape.

The Ingrebourne Valley Heritage Centre will be built overlooking the stunning marshland with

many sustainable features. The wood cladding will ensure it fits in with the landscape whilst it

will also offer superb, comfortable facilities.

Everyone who donates to the Appeal will receive an invitation to a special guided walk in the Ingrebourne Valley Living Landscape. We still have to raise the last £58,000 towards the Ingrebourne Valley Heritage Appeal – every £20 you donate will release £620 towards the project.