A NEW education hub run by the League Against Cruel Sports is set to be created in Exmoor National Park.

The Baronsdown Wildlife Sanctuary, near Dulverton, run by the League Against Cruel Sports, has scooped a share of £70,000 from Calor’s Rural Community Fund initiative.

The group received £5,000 which will go towards the creation of a new education hub.

Calor’s fund, now in its third year, aims to help rural communities which aren’t connected to the mains gas grid.

The wildlife sanctuary is one of 21 winners which will benefit from the funding.

This funding will be used to renovate an old building on the site into an education hub which will act as a base for all activities in the sanctuary.

Paul Tillsley, head of conservation and education at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be a winner as these funds will go towards the much-needed refurbishment of the old kennels building on our flagship wildlife sanctuary, Baronsdown.

“We believe that education is a key aspect of our sanctuaries, and we aim to inspire younger generations and local community groups, through our education hub, to learn about and protect our precious wildlife and environment, as well as enjoying the wonderful benefits of being immersed in nature.”

Each entry was judged based on its potential impact on the local community, its sustainability once launched, the originality of the idea and the quality of the submission.

The judging panel was made up of national community action groups, Business in the Community and Rural England, the national mental health charity, Mind, Plunkett Foundation and Crowdfunder.

Andy Parker, head of strategy and corporate affairs at Calor, said: “Once again, we’ve had a fantastic response to our Rural Community Fund and the high standard of entries this year made the final decision incredibly difficult.

"What’s been clear to see is just how passionate these rural communities are in creating ventures that will nurture and make a meaningful difference to those who live in the area.

“Our fund is all about giving something back to rural off-grid communities and we congratulate the winners who have all put forward proposals that will make a big impact on people’s lives.

“We commend the League Against Cruel Sports on the project that has been put forward and we can’t wait to see it come to life.”