Local resources.
- Magic Of The Isles
- Apr 10
- 4 min read
As a practitioner living in Staffordshire I do everything I can to support my local community. If you have any suggestions to add on this list simply drop me a message so I can look into it! Some of the resources are nationwide however they offer beneficial information for the local area. Charities, wildlife, nature resources, groups and much more will be featured here and updated from time to time! They are sorted into categories in order to help you navigate this blog. Happy reading!
Conservation
Animals
Friends Of The Earth
An interactive map that displays areas where reforesting is possible. Put in a location and see where you can find areas to help.
Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre
An exotic wildlife rescue with all kinds of animals. Gentleshaw is also a rescue hospital for injured exotics and will also rehome exotic pets. They foster them out to find forever homes. Based in Eccleshall, they are a licensed zoo and look for volunteers from time to time.
Haughton Owl Sanctuary.
This is a wonderful bird sanctuary located in Haughton, Stafford. It is home to a wide array of birds including owls, hawks and even a kookaburra! The volunteers do amazing work to care for the birds and keep this quite little sanctuary nice and tidy for guests. There is a small entrance fee to help the sanctuary with their costs, they also offer a bird of prey experience which is absolutely amazing having done this myself! There are no steps to get in and is accessible due to the concrete path around the sanctuary. There is also an ice cream farm which boasts a wide selection of locally sourced produce, their own in house ice cream made by their own cows and sell animal feed so you can feed the many animals there at no additional cost! The goats are mischievous and the sheep very vocal, all the animals have quirky personalities!
Parks and outdoor spaces
Here you can find a list of places surrounding Cannock Chase. The Chase is a big place with much to explore! The visitor center has a huge park for kids to play in and a small circular track that hosts a Gruffalo trail! The coal mining museum is free to enter and sits in a quaint little house. It goes into the history of Cannock mines with lots of interactive activities! Just up the path from that is another activity center but do check their opening times because it does vary. Chasewater is also nearby, a huge reservoir
Tree finders
Ancient Tree Forum
Boasting an extensive list of blogs alongside a tree locator, this website goes into conservation of nature and provides heaps of information about ecology.
Ancient Yew Group.
Simply type in the area in the search bar and apply whichever filters you need, an interactive map will show information about a specific Yew tree! How cool is that!
Woodland Trust.
Enter your location in the search bar and you will be shown a satellite map with various color pin icons. Click a pin to look at the trees information, grid reference and some have access details.
Local history
Places to visit
Ancient High House
A 15th century timber house with 3 floors, this classic rickety building is free to visit! Right in the center of town near several amenities this building stands out from the crowd! The Ancient High House is not wheelchair friendly and there are several flights of stairs. There are several lovely bedrooms to look at, a civil war section and a Yeomanry Regiment display on the top floor.
Stafford Castle
An old stone castle that was rebuilt, sits on the outskirts of town spanning 26 acres. A monument to Stafford's history throughout the ages this site was where many battles took place as armies laid siege to it. A lovely circular walk lies around the castle with woodland and open spaces perfect for walking the dog or exploring with the kids!
Local support.
In need of help?
Stafford Food Bank
Helping people eat in tough times, if you want to volunteer your time or drop off some much needed supplies like food, toiletries and sanitary wear they will all be gratefully accepted!
The House Of Bread
A local charity that provides a wide range of support to the community. HoB hosts a pay as you can cafe so if your short on funds or low on food and would like to have a decent meal Cafe 43 is the place to go! They also provide a food bank when you are referred by a professional. There is also a clothes and toiletry bank too! The volunteers also offer advice on benefits, housing and even offer up some educational sessions!
Unite Stafford C.I.C website.
A local uplifting support group featuring many things going on in Stafford. They are currently organizing a river clean up as the floods have caused damage and brought with it blockages, rubbish and pollution. This group also posts about a small section of grass on the banks of the river Sow for which permission has been granted to revitalize. See how you can get involved by keeping up to date!
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