The vote is on...

The vote is on..............

Have you voted yet?............No I don’t mean the Scottish referendum, I’m talking about the other important vote taking place this month; and quite frankly, we think it is a much more pressing matter. Your local nature reserve’s new visitor centre in Sandwell Valley begins construction this month, and we’re giving it a name. We thought that ‘RSPB Sandwell Valley nature reserve visitor centre’ was a bit of a mouthful, so we started a campaign to give it a name back in March this year. Over 100 name suggestions came in, from staff, volunteers, local residents and visitors.

Iman and Alistair, part of our visitor volunteer team
holding the new centre model 

A bit of background info (for those new to the site/blog/earth): The RSPB have lovingly managed this nature reserve in this quiet corner of Sandwell valley for over 35 years, and for 25 years, a visitor centre stood proudly at the heart of the reserve overlooking the valley, with views stretching over the meadows and forge mill lake. Sadly in 2010 the centre was burnt down due to vandalism. Four years on and we’re weeks away from the diggers arriving to begin construction of our new building. All thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund, Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust,  Edward and Dorothy Cadbury Trust and other charitable trust.

Members of a community forum, held here every two months, met in July to whittle the name suggestions to a shortlist of just two names, and since July we have been asking for your vote. So the choices are, ‘natures reach’ or ‘the view’ – both brilliant names which reflect where the building will sit, high on a hill looking down across the reserve.

We want you to have your say and cast your vote. 

Please drop in a see us or email us on sandwellvalley@rspb.org.uk with your choice.