‘What a celebration!’ Dame Judi Dench hails success of Ouseburn campaign
May 30, 2025
A community campaign to create a nature reserve raises £275,000 in four weeks.
A community campaign to create a nature reserve raises £275,000 in four weeks.
The field isn’t yet ready for visitors to walk around, but we would LOVE for you to come and see us, celebrate this incredible success as a community and get to step ever so slightly into this brand new nature
The purchase has OFFICIALLY gone through and the Upper Ouse Conservation Trust are now the incredibly proud new owners of Townend Field; protecting the land for the community, for education and of course, for nature. Dame Judi Dench has recorded
Colin is a local artist who lives in Great Ouseburn and has kindly donated this wonderful picture he has painted in support of the campaign to turn Townend field into a Nature Reserve. We’re sure you will agree what a
As of 4pm today, our total stands at a whopping £275,350—we’ve officially reached the asking price to buy Townend Field! We are completely blown away. No grants. No big corporate sponsors. Just pure community power—you made this happen! From cake
We can hardly believe it… after a whirlwind few weeks and an incredible show of support, our fundraising total now stands at a phenomenal £267,609! That’s right—just £5,600 more and we’ll hit the asking price to buy Townend Field! We’re
The amazing kids at Great Ouseburn Primary School have been busy again—and this time, they’ve put their hearts onto paper with some brilliant drawings showing how they’d love to use Townend Field. From wildflower meadows and bug hotels to peaceful
Great Ouseburn featured proudly on the BBC weather map today—did you spot it? And that’s not all—Graeme’s brilliant virtual tour of Townend Field is now live, giving everyone a chance to see just how special this space really is, even
What a moment! One of the brilliant pupils from Great Ouseburn Primary School went live on BBC Radio 2 with Sara Cox to talk about how she raised £100 for the Townend Field campaign—all by selling hot chocolates, teas, and
We were back on the telly today! Trustee Graeme Jackson gave an update on our campaign to BBC Look North, sharing just how far we’ve come—and how close we are to crossing the finish line. This is it… the final
Take a look at this stunning photo shared by the headteacher of Great Ouseburn Community Primary School—a rainbow stretching right across Townend Field! Could there be gold at the end? Maybe! But here’s the thing… we can’t find out until
Are you following us on Facebook or Instagram? Then here’s a super easy way to help the campaign—change your profile picture to our campaign image and show the world you’re backing the bid to save Townend Field! It only takes
A huge thank you to the amazing Friends of Great Ouseburn Primary School (FOGOS) for putting on a brilliant Valentine’s Disco! The kids had a blast—and they raised an incredible £1,000 for the Upper Ouse Conservation Trust. This is what
The amazing staff and children at Great Ouseburn Community Primary School have created a truly heartwarming video—and you have to see it. In it, pupils stand in front of Townend Field, sharing their hopes, dreams, and brilliant ideas for what
Dame Judi Dench teams up with Bronte ancestor to help battle to save beauty spot from developers after Labour bid to build 1.5million UK homes. Two female cultural icons from past and present are helping villagers in a race against
What a day! We were thrilled to welcome Phil Bodner and the BBC Look North team to Great Ouseburn Community Primary School and Townend Field to shine a spotlight on our campaign. They chatted with pupils, parents, and trustee Graeme
We’ve got something really special lined up! With kind permission from the landowners, our trustee Graeme Jackson is now leading guided walks around Townend Field—and they’re already proving a hit! Our first walk kicked off today, and the feedback was
There is a proposed community buyout for 20 acres of land in Great Ouseburn for the purpose of education and nature. 6 lots of land are up for sale, with this field being one of those lots. However the site
Wow—we were absolutely blown away by the turnout and support at our final public meeting at the village hall. It was very well attended and the energy in the room was incredible! We heard inspiring words from trustee David Lloyd,
Dame Judi Dench has called for support to save a 20-acre site of natural interest that is currently for sale. The actress has given her voice to an appeal to buy Townend Field in Great Ouseburn, near Harrogate, so the
It’s here! Our official campaign prospectus is ready—and it now includes a very special, last-minute addition: a quote from Dame Judi Dench herself! If you want the full story on why we’re working so hard to save Townend Field—for the
