Bridestones Rewilded spreads its wings!
After months of waiting for the solicitors to do their thing... It’s finally happened! We’re delighted to announce that Bridestones Moor now belongs to us. More importantly, to you.
The Bridestones Rewilded story
It’s been a long road to get this far. The Bridestones Rewilded project started in early 2024 when the moor was put up for sale.
Local community members started to ask a question that at the time seemed far off and fanciful. Could we buy the moor and run it for the good of nature and local people?
And the answer – nearly two years, hundreds of thousands of pounds, and dozens of volunteer hours later – is yes. With funding from various sources secured – including a Crowdfunder, large individual donations and a substantial philanthropic loan – Bridestones Rewilded is now a reality.
First of all, we want to thank the people who have made this journey possible. Many of our friends, families and supporters have donated money, time and ideas to get this project off the ground. All incredibly important contributions. We’re incredibly grateful – thank you all.
But the work doesn’t stop now. Bridestones Rewilded is one of a tiny number of community-owned rewilding projects in the UK. It’s a massive opportunity not just to restore valuable wild space, but to create a blueprint for how community-driven rewilding can work anywhere.
For that, we need your help.
So, what's next for Bridestones Rewilded?
Over the next few months, we’ll decide what needs doing first in our mission to restore Bridestones Moor. That’s likely to involve boots – or wellies – on the ground with volunteer days. If you’re keen to become a volunteer for us, please fill in the form on our Take Action page and we’ll be in touch soon.
We’re also keen to reduce the size of our loan as soon as possible. That means fundraising. We’ve already got a few events in the pipeline, such as our second art auction on 26 October at Natural Endings in Todmorden!
Visit our Bridestones Art Auction Facebook group to get involved.
We’re also running a quiz at The Golden Lion and an afternoon celebrating bogs – details to follow on social media and in our newsletter.
How can I support Bridestones Rewilded?
Aside from volunteering or dropping in at one of our events, there are other ways you can help.
First and foremost: spread the word! Every person you tell about Bridestones Rewilded is a step towards protecting the moor for generations to come. Even just letting your friends and family on social media know about us is a huge help. We’ve got Facebook and Instagram, and plan to launch a YouTube channel soon.
If you’d like to keep up-to-date with our work, you can also sign up to our newsletter on the main page of our website. Joining our mailing list means you’ll be the first to know about what’s happening with the project, including the latest events and volunteering opportunities.
Finally, you can support us monetarily through our Crowdfunder. The sooner we can pay off our loan, the better.
So, that about wraps it up for now! Thanks again for all your support. We’re so excited to find out what happens next, and hope you’ll join us to make Bridestones Rewilded as special as can be.
Best wishes,
The Bridestones Rewilded team - Andrew, Anthony, Amy, Cath, Jennie and Steve
