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The Manuka Club was founded in May 2003 by Benjamin Goldsmith, and operates as a donor network for individuals wishing to oppose irreversible losses of the British countryside to unnecessary development. The Club is the UK’s only dedicated source of funding for community-based campaigns, and is in touch with over 50 different local groups.
The Club was launched against the background of several major new Government initiatives that pose urgent threats to Britain’s open spaces. These are:
- A major increase in house-building, with up to 1.2 million new homes planned for the South of England alone in four nominated Growth Areas;
- A green light for the building of toxic waste incineration plants in order to comply with the requirements of the EU Landfill Directive;
- A return to the ‘predict and provide’ traffic growth model with plans for a series of major road-building schemes;
- Approval of massive increases in airport capacity to accommodate rising demand.
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Prior to the Club’s launch, extensive consultation took place with leading figures in the environmental movement and veterans of local or ‘grass roots’ campaigning. This helped us to identify the major needs of local campaigners, and informed the Club’s strategy for meeting these needs.
The Club focuses on three areas of activity. A Small Grants Programme which disburses money to groups engaged in effective local campaigns; a Training Programme that equips individuals and groups with key media, campaign strategy and organisational skills; and a Strategic Grants Programme that supports projects and networks that are felt to be in the interests of strengthening the grass roots movement overall.
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