DOZENS of Knutsford families enjoyed a day of craft workshops and face painting, with time for a nature walk and a treasure hunt too, at ‘Nature on The Heath’.

The event, organised by volunteer group Friends of The Heath and held on Knutsford Heath, was part funded by Cheshire-based Equilibrium Asset Management after an application to its Knutsford Community Support Scheme for a £500 grant.

The free event, held on Sunday, July 17, was officially opened by the Town Mayor, Cllr Jan Nicholson, and ran from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. It aimed to raise environmental awareness of The Heath as both a place for outdoor activity and as a nature reserve.

Nature-based activities on the day included the opportunity for families to make nest boxes, model butterflies and twig art as well as take part in a scavenger hunt and nature walk.

Speaking about the event, Kevin Griffiths, committee member at Friends of The Heath, said: “It’s fantastic that Equilibrium awarded us such a generous grant, which provided the important funding for us to promote and run our 'Nature on The Heath' event. The event gave families across the area to opportunity to enjoy a great day on Knutsford Heath and we’re really pleased to say the whole event was a great success.

“It was important to us to highlight the ecological value of this special green space, which is of great benefit to the community. We wanted the day to be both enjoyable and educational too. That’s why we tied a nature theme into our event, to help highlight the importance of enjoying and preserving The Heath.”

The event also played host to like-minded local causes including Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Lower Moss Wood Educational Nature Reserve and Wildlife Hospital, Knutsford Community First Responder Trust and Cycle Knutsford.

Paul Farrugia, financial planner at Equilibrium Asset Management, said: “At Equilibrium we have a proud track record of working to support charitable causes in the local community. The Nature on The Heath event provided a fantastic opportunity for families and friends from across Knutsford and the surrounding areas to come together to celebrate and enjoy The Heath.

“As a firm, we deeply value and admire efforts to promote community cohesion through environmental efforts, education and activities in the great outdoors."

"Nature on The Heath delivered all three so it is an event we were very happy to back financially.”

Applications for the next round of the Knutsford Community Scheme are now open and close on September 18.

Equilibrium will only consider applications from non-profit organisations and grants available range from £100 to £500.

For further information on The Equilibrium Foundation and its Knutsford Community Support Scheme visit http://eqllp.co.uk/the-foundation/knutsford-community-support-scheme/ or follow Equilibrium on Twitter: @EquilibriumAM.