GreenSnape founders named National Landscape Award winners
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Derek and Lesley Walduck have been named 2025 winners of the David Wood National Landscape Award in recognition for their inspirational work leading the GreenSnape Community Group. The annual award is presented to an individual, organisation or community group that has made an outstanding contribution to the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape [formerly AONB].
GreenSnape Community Group was founded in 2017 to protect and enhance the environment in and around Snape for the benefit of people and wildlife. Inspired by Derek and Lesley, the group membership has grown to 115 people of all ages in a village of 650 residents, while raising thousands in donations and grants for transformative projects carried out by volunteers. The range of achievements by GreenSnape, led by Derek and Lesley, include landscape scale projects to restore and enhance Snape Common, Priory Wood, the village green and verges, while also organising conservation work parties, events, talks and visits each year.
Nick Collinson, Chair of the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape Partnership said,
"Under the inspiring leadership of Derek and Lesley Walduck, GreenSnape stands as a powerful example of what passionate, dedicated volunteers can achieve when united by a common goal. Their work has brought a community together, and will leave a lasting legacy on the landscape, wildlife and village life for years to come.”
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| the Award | David Wood | Nick Collinson | |||
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Derek and Lesley Walduck said,
"We’re very honoured to receive such a prestigious award and also very grateful to National Landscape for their support over the years, especially with a number of generous grants. We’re very proud of our GreenSnape committee and volunteers for all their hard work and commitment.
"We have a great community in Snape with many supportive groups that we enjoy working with, in particular Snape Parish Council, the Churchyard team and Snape School.
"It’s important at a time when our area is so much under threat from energy infrastructure that we all do what we can to help our beleaguered environment at a local level."
The award is named after David Wood, who served as Chairman of the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape for more than 20 years and was instrumental in securing the historic extension of the National Landscape to include the Stour Estuary in Essex in 2020.
The Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape stretches from Kessingland in North Suffolk, down to the Stour Estuary in North Essex, covering an area of 170 square miles. The area is nationally designated because of its outstanding natural beauty and importance for wildlife.
You can find out more about the David Wood National Landscape Award
at coastandheaths-NL.org.uk/awards.
The photos were taken on the Village Green on 30th September,
© Suffolk & Essex Heaths & Coasts National Landscape,
except that of the Award (by Steve Stocks).
