News

​Latest news from The Back Dane Trust....
  •  May 2024 - The 2023 Back Dane Trust Annual Report is available to download here
  •  April 2023 - The 2023 Back Dane Trust AGM is being held on Saturday 15th April at Swythamley & Heaton Village Hall, SK11 0SJ at 1.00p.m.
  • 4 March 2023 - A hedge planting event took place at Back Dane in conjunction with Dane Valley Climate Action Group and supported by the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Community Climate and Nature Action Fund. It was a great success with a great turnout - almost 500 trees were planted by 24 volunteers in just a few hours!
  • 17-19 June - Visit to Back Dane by Athac (Access to Heritage Arts and Culture), with whom we work in partnership. A Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Wild Play session went ahead on the Saturday, and we are very grateful to Natalie and her team for the fantastic sessions they always run at Back Dane. Natalie has this to say about the session: ​"Saturday was a great day. I know I always say it but we could easily spend longer there – the families staying at Back Dane are always so lovely, engaged with the activities, and just a pleasure to be around”
  • 10-12 June - Environmental Working Weekend held at Back Dane, with lots achieved. Volunteers also took it in turns running the Coconut Shy at Wincle Fete again on the Saturday afternoon
  • 7 June - A full clutch (7) of Pied Flycatcher chicks were rung by a local volunteer, plus a few Great Tit chicks too. The chicks in the other nests were already too big too ring!
  • 5 June - Day visit to Back Dane by Diaspora Women's Group from Birmingham, supported by Athac (Access to Heritage Arts and Culture)
  • 27-28 May - Trustees attended Moorcroft members' open days in June, to represent the Back Dane Trust and display the Collection
  • 28-29 April - Two day visits by Wincle Primary School to Back Dane
  • 23-24 April - Another visit to Back Dane by the National Housing Project
  • 18-21 April - BAOBAB visit to Back Dane - BAOBAB work with and advocate for refugee and migrant women in the West Midlands and visited Back Dane for a few days. Images below are from the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust 'Wild Play' sessions run at Back Dane
  • 10 April - Back Dane Trust Kids Weekend Easter trip to Back Dane - the children did Easter crafts and chocolate Easter nests, went for a walk to Gradbach for ice cream, and paddled in the river.
  • 2 April - Back Dane Trust Trustee Meeting and AGM held in Derby, the first of both in person since the beginning of the pandemic. Stan Harrison and Pippa Joyce stepped down as Trustees, although we are very pleased that both are continuing as Back Dane Trust volunteers. Chris Edwards joined as a new Trustee, and Mick Jones rejoined us as a Trustee. The 2021 Back Dane Trust Annual Report is available to download here
  • 26-27 March - Back Dane Trust Kids Weekend training and organising weekend held at Back Dane. Families with ATHAC (Access to Heritage, Arts and Culture) from Birmingham visited on the Sunday and were shown round and introduced to Back Dane by Back Dane Trust volunteers Erum and Abdul. ATHAC are a social enterprise providing inclusive opportunities and cultural access support services, and are staying at Back Dane later in the year
  • 11-13 March - Environmental working weekend held at Back Dane. Volunteers cleared out and planted up the old incinerator, installed a sign for the sensory garden, sowed woodland ground flora seeds, cleared plastic and debris from the River Dane, and constructed Kestrel and Little Owl nesting boxes, amongst other jobs.
  • This year's AGM will be held in person on Saturday 2nd April at The Mundy Arms, Ashbourne Road, Derby DE22 4LZ. Please let Dave Evans know if you are planning to attend (tinandave48@gmail.com), members can arrive from 12.00, with a buffet served at 12.30 and the AGM beginning at 13.00. Membership subscriptions are also due, and the application form can be found here 
  • 14 February - We are very pleased to have successfully applied to receive match-funding to obtain items intended to conserve and enhance the natural heritage around Back Dane, and to enable our users to learn about and enjoy the nature and wildlife of the South West Peak District (some pictured below). These were purchased with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund through the South West Peak Landscape Partnership
  • 11-13 February - Environmental Working Weekend at Back Dane. Some trees thinned out from the woodland (with focus on those affected by Ash Dieback), Blackthorn cut back and Hazel coppiced
  • 28-30 January - Working Weekend held at Back Dane. Pressure washing the flagstones done, and new bench put in by the river
  • 16 January - Buxton Mountain Rescue use Back Dane as base for testing their new search and rescue drone equipment
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  • 30 December-2 January 2022 - East Lindsey Area of Sanctuary stay at Back Dane over New Year
  • 24 December - The twelfth Back Dane Trust Quarterly Newsletter published and available here: back_dane_trust_quarterly_newsletter_december__2021.pdf​
  • 10-12 December - Christmas Kids Weekend held at Back Dane 
  • 3-5 December - National Housing Association project visit to Back Dane, those attending decorated the cottage and put up the tree for the following Christmas Kids Weekend
  • 1 December - Summerbank School day trip to Back Dane
  • 26-28 November - Working Weekend at Back Dane
  • 19-21 November - Northampton Duston Scouts stayed at Back Dane
  • 29-31 October - Halloween Kids Weekend held at Back Dane
  • 18-19 October - Visit to Back Dane by Wincle Primary School
  • 15-17 October - Another family friendly Working Weekend held at Back Dane, focused on topping up and rebuilding the brash barrier in the woodland
  • 4-11 October - Another trip to Back Dane by Under the Sky
  • 1-3 October - Regular Working Weekend held at Back Dane
  • 18 September - Trustee meeting held online via Zoom
  • 18 September - The eleventh quarterly Back Dane Trust newsletter has been published and is available here: quarterly_back_dane_trust_newsletter_september_2021.pdf
  • 10-12 September - Family friendly Working Weekend at Back Dane, focused on rebuilding the Ash tree storytelling circle in the woodland
  • 8-10 September - Visit to Back Dane by Upbeat Communities
  • 27-30 August - Bank Holiday Working Weekend, including participating in local climate change awareness event organised by Dane Valley Climate Action Group, took place at Back Dane
  • 17-20 August - Burntwood and Lichfield Autism Support Together (BLAST) visited Back Dane
  • 13-15 August - Refugee families visited Back Dane with Doncaster Conversation Club. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust carried out Wild Play river dipping and bug hunting wild play activities with the children
  • 7 August - Memorial event was held at Back Dane in memory of the Trust's founder and former chairman John Foxcroft. A stone plaque was unveiled in John's memory along with brass plaques in the sensory garden, dedicated to John and renamed the John Foxcroft Memorial Garden. A brass plaque was also dedicated to David Robinson (Robbo) besides the Copper Beech tree planted a few years ago in his memory
  • 19-23 July & 31 July-3 August - Under The Sky stayed at Back Dane on two occasions
  • 5-9 July 2021 - Wincle Primary School visited Back Dane
  • 25-27 June 2021  - A Working Weekend for volunteers was held at Back Dane 
  • 16 June 2021 - the 10th Back Dane Trust Quarterly Newsletter was published and can be found here: back_dane_trust_quarterly_newsletter_june_2021.pdf
  • 28-30 May 2021 - A Partnership Holiday with East Lindsey Area of Sanctuary and supported by the grant received from The National Lottery Community Fund was held at Back Dane.
  • 21-23 May 2021 - A 'mini' Improvement Weekend was held at Back Dane, with plenty of work undertaken including preparing the cottage for the return of visitors.
  • 11 May 2021 - We are delighted to have recently been granted £6,300 from The National Lottery Community Fund to support inclusive volunteering opportunities at Back Dane over the course of the next year. 
  • 27 April 2021 - we are very grateful to Shelter Maintenance Ltd for a very generous donation of £3,000 to support Kids Weekends and Partnership Holidays at Back Dane twitter.com/shelter_mainten/status/1386971240280346624
  • 20 March 2021 - the AGM was held online, with all Trustees and 26 members joining.
  • 11 March 2021 - the 2020 Beasley Back Dane Annual Report has been published and is available here: annual_report_2020.pdf
  • 8 March 2021 - the 9th Back Dane Newsletter was published.  It can be found here in PDF format volume_9_-_march_2021_final.pdf
  • 12 January 2021 - an assessment of the ash trees in the upper woodland was performed with a view to managing these due to ash dieback
  • 1 December 2020 - the 8th Back Dane Newsletter was published.  It can be found here in Word format: volume_8_-_dec_2020_ver.1.docx and as a PDF: volume_8_-_dec_2020_ver.1.pdf
  • 27 October 2020 - Two families were able to stay at Back Dane over half term - one family came through an Autism support charity and the other through City of Sanctuary UK.
  • 25 October 2020 - The barn owl box was cleaned out and revealed feathers and pellets.
  • 6 September 2020 - the 7th Back Dane Newsletter was published.  It can be found here: volume_7_-_september_2020_ver.2.pdf
  • August 2020 - Two refugee families stayed at Back Dane during August (on separate occasions).  These were organised via City of Sanctuary UK.
  • 25 July 2020 - The first single family group stayed over at Back Dane (after the Covid-19 lockdown period)
  • 8 July 2020 - The Back Dane information sheet was updated and can be found here info___t_c_july_2020_v.13.docx
  • 3 July 2020 - USB charging points were added to each of the bedrooms to avoid people bringing their own phone chargers
  • 15 June 2020 - A new marketing leaflet was produced.  It can be downloaded here: back_dane_a5_leaflet_v3_15-06-20_print.pdf
  • 8 June 2020 - the 6th Back Dane Newsletter was published.  It can be found here: volume_6_-_june_2020_final.pdf
  • 5 June 2020 - Six of the pied flycatchers were ringed
  • 10 May 2020 - Two pairs of pied flycatchers have returned to Back Dane and are nesting in the nest boxes put up by Wincle Primary School.
  • 29 April 2020 - The Beasley Back Dane 2019 Annual Report has been published and is available here: bbd_annual_report_2019_low_res.pdf.
  • 28 March 2020 - the 5th Back Dane Newsletter was published.  It can be found here: volume_5_-_april_2020_v.1.pdf
  • 12 March 2020 - it was decided to postpone the AGM due to the Coronavirus and travel/contact restrictions.  This was after discussion with the Trustees and members.
  • 29 February 2020 - a priority setting meeting was held with the Trustees working on a risk matrix and priorities for the charity for the next two years.
  • 27 February 2020 - two Trustees stood for re-election at the AGM in March - Jamie Davis and Linda Spence
  • 4 February 2020 - Beasley Back Dane privacy policy updated to include a note about 'special category' data use always requiring consent.
  • 29 January 2020 - the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers and Fit for Work started shaping the beds and laying the pond for the sensory garden
  • ​29 January 2020 - the new defibrillator at Back Dane was commissioned by the First Responders
  • 23 January 2020 - the bore hole pump was connected and water was subsequently taken for analysis
  • 18 December 2019 - the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers started mapping out the sensory garden beds
  • 6 December 2019 - the trench for the electrics and water pipes were dug for the water treatment plant
  • 1 December 2019 - the 4th Back Dane Newsletter was published.  It can be found here: volume_4_-_december_2019_v.3.pdf
  • 1 December 2019 - the current BBD membership form can be found here ....membership_application_2020.pdf
  • 26 November 2019 - a defibrillator was delivered which will be sited up on the footpath on the Back Dane fence
  • 18 November 2019 - the new bore hole was dug - water was found at 55 metres.  Connection will take place over the winter
  • 28 September 2019 - the Back Dane wild flower meadow was mowed
  • 29 September 2019  - the woodland nature trail was completed
  • 9 September 2019 - a fairy village was created in the Back Dane woodland
  • 5 September 2019 - the third Back Dane Newsletter was published.  It can be found here: volume_3_-_september_2019.pdf
  • 29/30 June 2019 - the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers were at Back Dane to continue to develop the nature trail.
  • 8 June 2019 - the second Back Dane Newsletter was published.  It can be found here: volume_2_-_june_2019.docx
  • 4 June 2019 - 7 Pied Flycatcher chicks (from one nest) were ringed by the RSPB at Back Dane
  • 23 May 2019 - two pairs of Pied Flycatchers have been seen nesting at Back Dane - identified by the local RSPB group.
  • 10 May 2019 - fencing was installed below Back Dane to protect the new wildflower meadow from grazing, within days you could see the difference as the flowers started blooming.
  • 30 April 2019 -  a double cuckoo-flower (lady's smock) was found at Back Dane.
  • 13 April 2019 - The first Back Dane Newsletter was published.  It can be found here: volume_1_-_april_2019.docx
  • 5 April 2019 - a Facebook presence was set up for The Back Dane Trust.
  • March 2019 - the 2018 Annual report is now available here: annual_report_2018_v3.pdf
  • 16th March 2019 - The 2019 Annual General Meeting took place.  Two Trustees were re-elected (Dave Cordon and Rick Davis), one Trustee stood down (Irene Knights) and a new Trustee was elected (Philippa Joyce).
  • ​February 2019 - The South West Peak grant to install a nature trail, story telling circle, wildflower meadow and sensory garden was approved and work will take place this year.​
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