The Royal Parks has successfully secured £164k from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) to work up plans to carry out a number of improvements to the Isabella Plantation, a 40 acre woodland garden situated in the heart of Richmond Park.

The HLF/BIG first-round pass* means that The Royal Parks can now progress to the second stage of the HLF/BIG application process. More detailed plans will then be submitted within two years in order to apply for the £1.6m of HLF/BIG support that The Royal Parks is seeking for the £1.8m project.

The improvements to the Isabella Plantation are designed to make it accessible to all visitors and could include: upgrades to the existing path network, improved entrance gates and signage; visitor facilities such as shelter, seating and new toilets; environmental and ecological projects, including de-silting ponds and a new water irrigation system; and community activities such as walks, talks and volunteer schemes.

Simon Richards, Park Manager of Richmond Park, said: "This really is good news for Richmond Park and The Royal Parks. Initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund will not only enable us to progress plans to maintain and improve this much loved woodland garden but also help us to begin to develop a range of education based activities which will benefit both the local community and park visitors as a whole."

Sue Bowers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in London, said on behalf of HLF and BIG: "This initial support from HLF and BIG will help The Royal Parks to develop plans to ensure the Isabella Plantation continues to be looked after. We look forward to working with them over the development phase." Ends

Media enquiries:

Katy Murray on 0300 061 2145 or kmurray@royalparks.gsi.gov.uk

Notes to Editors

For further information please visit: www.royalparks.org.uk/isabella
To download images of The Royal Parks please visit: www.royalparkspressimages.org.uk

About the Isabella Plantation:

• Set within a Victorian woodland enclosure planted between 1831 and 1835, work began on the gardens n the late 1940s and they were opened to the public in 1953. Over the years the Plantation has developed as an important collection of rare and unusual trees and shrubs designed around a number of interconnecting ponds and streams. Plant wise the gardens are perhaps best known for the evergreen azaleas that line the ponds and streams. The Plantation also houses a National Collection of Wilson 50 Kurume Azaleas, collected by the famous plant hunter Ernest Wilson in Japan in the 1920's. Access to Isabella Plantation is free all year round and is popular as both an international and local visitor attraction with in excess of 0.5 million visitors a year.

About the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF):

• *A first-round pass means the project meets HLF criteria for funding and it has potential to deliver high-quality benefits and value for Lottery money. The application was in competition with other supportable projects, so a first-round pass is an endorsement of outline proposals. Having been awarded a first-round pass, the project now has up to two years to submit fully developed proposals to compete for a firm award. On occasion an applicant with a first-round pass will also be awarded development funding towards the development of their scheme.
• Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported 33,900 projects, allocating £4.4billion across the UK.
• For further information please visit: www.hlf.org.uk

About the Big Lottery Fund (BIG):

• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) rolls out close to £2million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across the UK most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project. BIG, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. The Big Lottery Fund and its predecessor bodies have invested more than £1.3billion in environmental initiatives.
• For further information please visit: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

About Richmond Park:

• Richmond Park, at 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres), is the largest Royal Park in London and is home to around 650 free roaming deer. The pastoral landscape of hills, woodlands, ponds, gardens and grasslands set amongst ancient trees offers a peaceful respite to visitors.
• The Park is designated as a National Nature Reserve (NNR), a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

About The Royal Parks:

• The Royal Parks is an executive agency of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The Royal Parks are: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James's Park.
• For further information please visit: www.royalparks.org.uk