We’re on the BBC!

Mail from Ian Bushell to @bbc.co.uk: April 12 2023

Hello,
It was a pleasant surprise to get your telephone call this morning. I am still involved with the Friends of Southwick Country Park which from 2021 has been declared a Local Nature Reserve by Wilts Council and yes, we would be happy to be interviewed for BBC Radio Wiltshire.
Southwick Country Park LNR is a Wilts County asset, the Friends work together with and manage the Reserve with the Wilts Countryside Access & Rights of Way Officers in helping to maintain and endeavouring to increase biodiversity overall. It is very much a joint effort.

We are happy to help your promotion of the countryside and nature within Wiltshire.  Here are suggestions for a couple of spokespersons:
Alison Rasey   –    01380 ******  Countryside Access Officer with an intimate knowledge of the Reserve;
Ian Bushell       –   01225 ****** A Friend of SCP Reserve
Here is a summary of some of our activities;
*The Reserve is open 24/7 with facilities for all abilities.
*The Friends run working parties for maintenance/litter picking/planting every Wednesday morning meeting in the main car park – all welcome.
*A Parkrun is conducted every Saturday morning.
*The Friends are working with Wilts Wildlife on A Better Biss Approach and development of diverse wetland projects.
*Organising Butterfly transects, Bat walks, Moth trappings as and when.

As background, you will gain much by looking at our webpage which could advertise the upcoming programme.  Apart from a daily blog covering flora and fauna, working party and other activities within the Reserve there is a rolling 10 year record of all the species of flora and fauna recorded and photographed within the Reserve.
It would be a great help to Alison and myself if you could give us a heads-up of the questions you will or intend to ask.
Looking forward to hearing from you, all the very best.

Ian

Mail from @bbc.co.uk to Ian Bushell 12/04/2023

Hello Ian,

Thank you so much for getting back to me and the background information is very useful indeed. For a phone interview like this we usually just have one interviewee otherwise it can get a little confusing for the listener. If I explain the idea behind the interview you might be able to let me know who would be best to chat with me on Sunday. It’s part of a BBC promotion called Get Into Nature encouraging people to use their local areas for their wellbeing both physically and mentally. Particularly sites that are accessible to everyone. So the idea would be to find out the basics about the park, who uses it at the moment, how people can volunteer to help. That kind of thing . Look forward to hearing from you.

SD

Mail from Ali Rasey to @bbc.co.uk April 14 2023

Hi,
You’ve been liaising with Ian Bushell about the telephone interview but Ian has caught a horrible bug and doesn’t sound too brilliant at the moment. I can do the interview on Sunday morning instead.
Can I just confirm that it is at 10.45am on Sunday 16th April, please?
 What time will you call me (on my home landline 01380 ***** is best.
Look forward to speaking with you on Sunday morning,
Kind regards,
Ali Rasey

Mail from @bbc.co.uk to Ali Rasey 14/04/2023

Hello Ali
Thanks for getting in touch . Yes its 10.45am this Sunday so my colleague will call you just before that on your landline.
There’s a campaign at the moment on BBC local radio called Get into Nature its about encouraging people to get up close and personal with nature on their doorstep for physical and mental well being. So the interview will be about the country park, the idea behind it, how people use it, volunteers that kind of thing.
SD