Latest News
Fast Funding Success!
7th June 2023 - Ruth Cornock
Earlier in the year, Ruth, one of the Friends group, saw an opportunity to apply for funding (up to the value of £500) towards projects that will improve the overall quality of life and wellbeing of residents in Erewash in line with the council's current Corporate Plan Priorities. The Friends group had been wanting to purchase a nesting platform to replace weather worn platforms that have deteriorated over time. We hope to have this platform installed in 2024 during our next work morning, before the nesting season gets under way. We would like to express our sincere thanks to Erewash Borough Council for agreeing to fund this project, and for their continued support of the Friends group.
Blooming Marvellous!
12th November 2022 - Ruth Cornock
The Friends of Straw's Bridge was recently awarded a Judge's Award as part of the East Midlands in Bloom competition. The East Midlands is one of 18 regions that make up Britain in Bloom, a campaign organised and run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). The judge's award recognises the Friends of Straw's Bridge for their fundraising and hard work to improve the planting in many areas of the reserve, the installation of an inclusive picnic bench and their engagement with the public, especially in their many nature watching events
. This contributes to the upholding of the three core RHS pillars of excellence consisting of Horticultural Achievement, Environmental Responsibility and Community Participation.
New Website Launched!
17th January 2022 - Ruth Cornock
We may not have been able to host our usual range of events during the last two years due to the Coronavirus crisis, but we have been able to undertake a much needed redevelopment of the website.
Keep checking back for news of forthcoming events and news from the reserve! We will continue to also use Facebook to publicise the reserve and work of the Friends Group.
An Unusual Visitor!
February 2021 - Ruth Cornock
Straw's Bridge was host to a very special visitor this month, with the sighting of a rare bird - a Slavonian Grebe! I was out on one of my regular lockdown runs, and as I ran along the Nutbrook Trail towards Manor Floods, I spotted a group of long lensed photographers and twitchers and so went to see what they had spotted. The grebe was first spotted on Pewit Carr, before moving on to the smaller of the Nutbrook Ponds. These rare birds are only spotted in Derbyshire once or twice a year and usually attract twitchers to wherever they are seen
More information about the Slavonian Grebe can be found here
Greetings Cards
20th September 2020 - Ruth Cornock
We have a lovely range of greetings cards available for sale. Photos taken by visitors to Straws Bridge, were chosen to feature in a range of high quality greetings cards. These cards are sold at events that the Friends attend, such as the West Hallam Well Dressings for £1.50 each (also available in packs)