A £50,000 appeal has been launched to improve visitor centre facilities at a popular nature reserve in Powys.

The Radnorshire Wildlife Trust (RWT) has launched its Gilfach Appeal, aimed at raising funds to improve the visitor centre at the Gilfach Nature Reserve, near Rhayader.

The trust wants the visitor centre to become a valuable community space that is used more regularly and can enhance the overall experience at the reserve.

With more than 12,000 visitors annually, the reserve is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts and a popular attraction for locals and tourists alike. However, the centre and its facilities need to be improved.

The building is not energy efficient and becomes unusable during cold winter weather. Funds raised from the Gilfach Appeal will go directly to improving the centre, including weatherproofing it for year-round use and ensuring that the building is more energy efficient in line with Net Zero targets. This will include installing solar panels, insulation, traditional lime plastering, underfloor heating and draft exclusion.

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Ben Porter, a RWT ambassador, said: “Supporting the appeal for the Gilfach Nature Reserve will enable it to be such a great space for training, to share skills and to be able to use the visitor centre all through the year.

“This is such an incredible reserve. It’s one of the first places in Radnorshire that I ever spent time in, just exploring the natural world and seeing the amazing array of habitats and wildlife that you get there.”

Purchased by the RWT in 1988, Gilfach is nestled in the Marteg Valley, in the heart of rural Powys – surrounded by the stunning Cambrian Mountains and Elan Valley.

The breathtaking landscape and variety of wildlife is what makes Gilfach so special. The reserve boasts an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, being well known for Pied flycatcher, Redstart, Dipper, Cuckoo and leaping Atlantic salmon, with the River Marteg running through.

Bell heather, common heather and gorse bring a blaze of colour to the hillside in late summer. Butterflies love the wildflowers and grasses, with the Small pearl-bordered fritillary, Common blue and Green hairstreak to name but a few.

County Times: The Radnorshire Wildlife Trust (RWT) has launched their Gilfach Appeal, aimed at raising £50,000 to improve the visitor centre The Radnorshire Wildlife Trust (RWT) has launched their Gilfach Appeal, aimed at raising £50,000 to improve the visitor centre (Image: Silvia Cojocaru)

RWT fundraising officer Chloe Jackson said: “Whether you have visited the Gilfach Nature Reserve before or simply support the Radnorshire Wildlife Trust’s vision for nature’s recovery, please consider donating towards our Gilfach Appeal.

“This will enable us to improve the facilities at the reserve, continue our conservation efforts and ensure that others can connect with this special place, now and in the future.”

The trust wants to put Gilfach at the heart of the local community and inspire visitors to connect with nature in a meaningful way. If the target is reached then this will enable vital work to be carried out to make the visitor centre warmer, more energy efficient and a more usable space for visitors, volunteers and staff to enjoy year-round.

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The improvements will also help the RWT reduce the organisation’s own environmental and carbon footprint, working towards achieving Net Zero targets by 2030.

Through a combination of donations, match funding, grants and community fundraisers, the RWT hopes to reach its target.

The appeal has currently raised £3,800. Anyone wishing to donate can do so via the website, at https://www.rwtwales.org/appeals/gilfach-appeal.