Warley Woods operators thankful for Julie Walter's video funding plea
Operators of award-winning Warley Woods park are thanking their lucky stars after an internet appeal by Dame Julie Walters led to a funding boost.
It costs the charitable trust, which runs the golf course and woodland, around £800 per day to cover staff and basic bills.
When the coronavirus pandemic struck the site's income was badly hit as it was already struggling to stay afloat.
Then in April 2020 Dame Julie, who grew up in Smethwick, released a video appeal to raise funds for Warley Woods. The actress asked for donations to preserve the woods, for which she is a patron.
Warley Woods Community Trust manager Viv Cole said: "Since then things have settled down considerably. Financially, it was a crisis for us as we are a charity and we are also a business.
"The fact that we were in lockdown, led us to appeal to the public to again save Warley Woods.
"Afterwards we got grants from the government which helped us to recover and things then got better.
"Julie Walters played her part. She was stuck at home like everybody else and was able to do her bit to help by creating a video appeal and the people shared it all over the place.
"We had donations from America, from people who left the Midlands and saw the video and wanted to help.
"She is really proud to be one of our patrons. She is really lovely and we thank her for coming to our aid."
Last year the woods were again voted for by the public in the People’s Choice Awards organised by the Green Flag Award scheme in a top ten list of favourite places to visit.
In 2019 upkeep costs included £33,000 for tree works, £4,000 for building repairs and £7,000 to empty bins at the award-winning when the pandemic struck income fell.
Donations can be made via the website warleywoods.org.uk/
