Days left to help save Brithdir Mawr community

The community, in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, may be sold into private hands unless the current members can secure the funds to purchase the site and ultimately transfer ownership into a trust.

Brithdir Mawr was set up 25 years ago with the aims of becoming self-sufficient and minimising its footprint on the Earth.

The community is off-grid for energy and water, grows almost 95% of its fruit and vegetables and is visited by 100 volunteers, plus many other guests, each year. The land is managed sensitively without the use of chemicals, with a focus on biodiversity and particularly pollinators.

The lease on the farm expires at the end of the year and the community has been given first refusal to buy it. However it needs to raise £1 million to do so. The community is running a Crowdfunder campaign to secure funds as a down- payment for the land and to secure an extension on the lease so the Trust can be set up and further funding options can be explored.

The Crowdfunder page has various different rewards like sponsoring a square meter of land for £3 and tree planting for a £25 donation.

The community has received a variety of saplings which are ready to be planted in the tree nursery.

With only days left of the campaign the tree planting reward is now the top feature on the Crowdfunder page.

"Following the commitment from the Government to achieve net zero by 2050, the importance of trees and woods is paramount," said Brithdir Mawr resident Lea Trainer. "They are essential in our fight against climate change, so donating and claiming this reward is a great chance for a double dose of goodwill.

"The opportunity has presented itself to us save the land and the time is now to save and secure a valuable social and environmental resource"

To donate, visit crowdfunder.co.uk/save-brithdir-mawr. Or to find out more you can visit their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages or brithdirmawr.co.uk.