£800,000 cash boost from Resonance provides lifeline for The Wilderness Centre
- Over £1m raised to protect the future of Gloucestershire outdoor centre that serves schools and the local community
- More than £800,000 invested from the Resonance Community Developers Fund
An £822,000 boost from social impact investor Resonance has helped secure the future of an outdoor learning centre in Gloucestershire.
The Wilderness Centre, located near Mitcheldean, has been taken back into community ownership following a £1m fundraising effort to buy the facility from a private owner.
It has long offered school residential visits, but exciting plans are now in place to open the facility up for wider community use, providing opportunities for young people to learn about and connect with nature while taking part in activities, such as bushcraft, orienteering, canoeing and high ropes.
Tom Crook, investment manager at Resonance, said: “We’re delighted to invest in the Wilderness Centre, initially protecting its future and then becoming part of its journey towards creating a first class outdoor location for the whole community to enjoy.”
The Wilderness Centre and its grounds have been purchased by community-owned business Wylderne, with an £822,000 investment by Resonance Community Developers.
Wylderne is also offering local people and nature lovers an opportunity to invest in shares to raise a further £50,000. An additional grant takes the combined total investment from all sources to more than £1million.
Simon Dawson, a director of Wylderne, said: “The significant Resonance investment will help the Wilderness Centre to evolve into a place where people can enjoy contact with nature and learn how they might help the unique biodiversity of the Forest to thrive.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming back not only our local schools but, for the first time ever, everyone from our community.”
The Wilderness Centre was previously a community asset in council ownership, and from 1969 operated as an outdoor education centre until 2014, when financial constraints led the council to close the centre and put it up for sale.
Tom concluded: “Resonance Community Developers was designed to support communities to create and own assets that meet local needs and help to build community cohesion – protecting and helping The Wilderness Centre to grow is a perfect example of this in action.
“To date, the fund has invested over £32m and that has been spent on affordable homes, sports and leisure facilities, low-carbon and renewable energy generation and vital community assets.”
More details on The Wilderness Centre can be founder here – https://www.wilderness-centre.co.uk/
About Resonance
Resonance is a pioneer of social impact residential property fund management, which has been connecting capital to social enterprise since 2002. We are proud of our 23-year track record of impact investing, and B Corp certification.
We provide life changing homes and solutions for people and communities facing crisis. To date, we have invested £444m.
Through our social impact residential property funds, we work with institutional investors and expert housing partners to provide safe, affordable homes with wrap-around support. We have helped to provide homes for over 4,000 individuals, including almost 2,000 children in over 1,350 properties in major cities across the UK.
With peoples’ homes at the heart of what we do, our Impact Labs team develops the ecosystem around our impact property funds, so we can innovate new solutions, pilot systemic change, increase supply and scale opportunity.
About Wylderne
As a Community Benefit Society (CBS), Wylderne is required to deliver specific and tangible benefits to the community.
The CBS ethos involves engaging with a wide range of members and stakeholders and offering people the opportunity to get involved in running the society on a democratic basis.
