Daws Hall Nature Reserve in Lamarsh, near Sudbury, marks 40th anniversary as £1.2m education centre proposal outlined

Forty years after embarking on its mission to connect schoolchildren with nature, a popular reserve has outlined its £1.2 million plans to expand and modernise its offering for future generations.

Daws Hall Nature Reserve in Lamarsh, near Sudbury, is celebrating 40 years since its establishment – during which time it has delivered field science sessions for more than 110,000 children.

Having opened the education centre on October 30, 1985, the Daws Hall Trust has now begun a fund-raising campaign to pay for a new building, after gaining planning permission.

The expanded setting intends to more than double the current capacity, while also running with greater energy efficiency and offering a panoramic view of the wildflower meadow.

Will Dover, general manager at Daws Hall, said: “We’re looking for facilities that will see us through for the next 40 years.

“We’re in an old cart lodge building, which was meant to be temporary. In that time, a lot has changed in terms of what classes require.

“At the moment, we’re limited to 30 kids at a time but, with the new building, we would have the capacity for 60 to 70. It would give us everything we need.

“I think our unique selling point is the whole reserve was created from scratch in the 1980s. It shows what you can do in 40 years.

“We now have species and habitats that are quite rare. It’s an example of how we can heal the landscape and how we can work with it.

“There’s a lot of different habitats in a small area, so it’s quite accessible for the children. It’s good, from a teaching point of view, to have that variety.”

In honour of its 40th anniversary, Daws Hall has hosted various events throughout the year, to thank all those who have supported the 25-acre reserve throughout its lifetime.

The celebrations included a party for volunteers, donors and supporters, such as founding trustee Robert Erith and former teacher Simon Perry, who worked at Daws Hall for 27 years.

In addition, the Lord Lieutenant for Essex, Jennifer Tolhurst – patron for the Daws Hall Trust – delivered a speech praising the charity’s work to enhance environmental education.

“Without all of these supporters, we wouldn’t have made it to 40 years,” added Mr Dover.

“It’s amazing that some of them have supported us from the beginning. The event was a nice chance to celebrate and reminisce.

“We feel we are one of the best kept secrets in the region. The site is primarily for educational purposes and not publicly accessible, but a small number of open days are held throughout the year.”

The next open days are scheduled for October 26 and November 2, from 10am-3pm.