Broads Authority - Broads Authority celebrates European award

Added: 09/10/2007
Category: Broads Authority

The Broads Authority will celebrate winning a top European award for reviving the reed and sedge cutting industry in the Broads on Thursday October 11th at Waxham Barn, 12.15pm.

The British judge of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards will attend the ceremony with Broads Authority Members, reedcutters who have benefited from the scheme and guests.

Dr Roger Woodley, an architectural historian and member of the awards jury will speak about the prize which recognises best practice in heritage conservation on a European level.

A new generation of Broads reed and sedge cutters will give a reed dressing demonstration in the barn and master thatcher Stephen Aldred will show the trainees how reed is used in thatching.

The highly acclaimed Broads Reed and Sedge Cutters Rejuvenation Project was singled out for a medal (2nd prize) in the annual European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards. It was one of 158 nominations from 32 countries.

In February the Broads Authority won a Royal Town Planning Institute award for the same project.

As a result of the rejuvenation project the Broads Reed and Sedge Cutters Association was formed which now has its own website.

Money from the Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund and Broads and Rivers LEADER+ programme was used to buy new machinery which is rented to members. The Authority has also persuaded landowners and managers to reduce or drop royalty payments for cutting reed.

The project resulted in new reed cutters taking up the trade. The Association is now helping to train five new young reed and sedge cutters as part of a Heritage Lottery funded bursary scheme. Reed beds are being restored and reed is being cut commercially on some sites for the first time in many years.