About Us
We manage 170 acres (69 ha) of countryside in the Wiston Estate, part of the South Downs National Park, near Steyning, West Sussex.
What we do, and why
A registered charity since 2009, we reconnect local people from all walks of life to the land, transforming it into a wildlife oasis where people of all ages can experience nature close to home, benefiting their mind, body and spirit. We create inspiring opportunities for anyone to join in, through active volunteering, engaging events and inclusive access.
Ecology explores how different species connect to create harmony. We work with nature and people to create a setting where both are restored and can flourish. Reconnecting what can sometimes seem to be opposing interests is a meeting point for ecology, social science, and even spirituality. People from a diversity of experiences and beliefs volunteer with us and continue to be welcomed, stemming from the ideals of the Christian faith of our founders, which continue to guide our work today.
We:
• Restore: Conserving and reviving some of the iconic habitats of the South Downs.
• Observe: Monitoring the health of a variety of habitats and species.
• Inform: Running educational programmes and events for people of all ages.
• Engage: Opening opportunities for anyone to volunteer with us.
Our Story
Our Values
Our values are our essential beliefs or attitudes that guide the way we do things. Ours are derived from the Christian faith. In summary we SEW: ‘to unite or make a repair, one stitch at a time’:
Stewardship – We respect and value the land, its wildlife and the people who benefit from it, recognising our responsibility to hand it on in a healthy condition for future generations to enjoy.
Empowerment – Everyone has huge, often untapped potential, waiting to be revealed and encouraged. We believe that everyone counts and that we can achieve more together.
Welcoming – We promote an honest and open culture and a relaxed, fun social environment, where trusting relationships can thrive and conflict is resolved.
Your SDS Team
Trustees
Our Trustees develop our strategy, shape our policy, ensure legal compliance, mange our finances and uphold a meaningful Christian ethos.
Richard Goring
Chairman of the Trustees and of the Wiston Estate. Richard’s commited to building community, re-engaging young people and stewarding the land.
Andrew Armitage
Andrew is a lawyer by profession and has a particular focus on legal compliance, policy development and insurance. He is also an excellent ornithologist and leads our ‘Songs of the Dawn’ walks.
Graham Broad
Graham has a background in finance and is our Treasurer, producing our financial reports and ensuring we stay on budget.
Sarah Lavery
Sarah has a background as a water engineer and brings a tremendous amount of experience in project management and community engagement to the charity.
Core Team
Matthew Thomas
Matthew is our Project Manager. He lives in the office, answering the phone, typing e-mails and pushing pieces of paper around…
Bethany Priest
As our Youth Engagement worker, Beth devotes her time to the young people who visit the Steyning Downland, encouraging them to help shape our future.
Volunteer Teams
We have four teams of volunteers who work together to make the Steyning Downland Scheme happen:
Conservation Management Group
This group oversees all our land management work. This in includes directing the Conservation Volunteers, Conservation Volunteers Lite, the Maintenance Team and our team of Lookerers who keep an eye on our herd of Dexter cattle. The group keeps our land management plan up-to-date and oversees special projects, such as our Duke of Burgundy reintroduction and the rewilding of Wylie’s Field.
The current team members are Sarah Quantrill, Pete Varkala, Barry Evans, Lucy Oakley, John Woodward, Tina Hobbs and Fay Pattinson (who is a Ranger with the South Downs National Park Authority).
People Engagement Group
This group oversees all the education and outreach work we do with the local community. This includes developing our programme of events, our Friends scheme, social media, brand development – and this website!
The current core team members are Debbie Chalmers, Sarah Gothard, Darren Nash, Steven Lawrence, Sam Shaw and Justin Russell.
Data Group
This group oversees all the species data collection we do, with the aim of informing the other groups about the health of the environment. The groups we currently cover are birds, vascular plants, reptiles and amphibians, moths and butterflies.
The current team members are Bob Platt, Jon Brook, Andrew Armitage and Kat Dahl.
Young People
This group works with Beth with a particular focus on engaging young people. It oversees the Junior Management Board, youth events and initiatives such as ‘Wildlife Champions’.
The current team members are Jan Hobson, Jane Oxley and Mike Kelly.
Our Current Projects
Thanks to the wonderful support of over 100 volunteers from the local community, we are continuing to find innovative ways of bringing nature and people together across the Steyning Downland.
Our core funding comes through our Friends and we are also extremely grateful for the generous support of the Wiston Estate, the South Downs National Park, the Wilson Memorial Trust, the Co-op, A Rocha UK, the Nineveh Trust, the Anchor Foundation, the John Lewis Foundation and many more who come together to support our unique nature reserve.
Discover more about our projects here.
Find Out More
Sign Me Up!
Like to find out what’s going on at SDS? Receive our latest news and and learn about the many ways you can get involved.
