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A community fundraising campaign to preserve Harrogate's much-loved Pinewoods has smashed its target after the public donated thousands of pounds.

It’s rare that well-supported charity Pinewoods Conservation Group asks people directly for donations but the response from the public to the campaign means it has passed the £3,000 goal which it had originally set.

The group is now hopeful the fundraising scheme launched online via the Aviva Community Fund will keep progressing to support its conservation efforts at the beautiful 96-acre woodland located between the Valley Gardens and Harlow Carr Gardens.

Called “Maintaining & Conserving The Pinewoods”, the aim of the project is to enable volunteers to undertake more maintenance at this popular public woodlandswith the purchase of new tools and a storage facility.

Neil Hind, chair of the highly-respected charity Pinewoods Conservation Group which launched a fundraising project for conservation work in the much-loved Harrogate woodland. (National World/130219)

A spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group said: “We are looking to raise funds so we can purchase new tools to help maintain the Pinewoods.

"We also need somewhere to store these tools as well with a local store room already identified.

"We just need your help so we can commit to an initial two year agreement to get us underway.”

Founded in 2002, Pinewoods Conservation Group says the woodlands are a vital part of Harrogate’s heritage whose cultural and historical significance go back to the Great Forest of Knaresborough with references back as far back as 1167.

"Preserving these spaces allows us to connect with our past and appreciate the beauty of nature,” it argues.

The charity believes the Pinewoods not only provide invaluable recreational opportunities for families and visitors, they also sustain a diverse array of plant and animal species, helping safeguard biodiversity and contribute to the health of the environment.

The last two decades have seen the volunteers reinstate footpaths, erect fingerposts and information boards, plant trees and bulbs, erect bird and bat boxes and provide a binocular to enhance the view of the Pinewoods panorama.

The current total raised via the Aviva Community Fund stands at £3,505 with hopes that the fundraising campaign may eventually each £5,000.

To make a donation, visit: https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/p/pinewoods

For more information or to join the group, visit: http://www.pinewoodsconservationgroup.org.uk/

Thousands of pounds flood in for much-loved Pinewoods area of Harrogate as charity's conservation appeal pays off