THE PIG-in the South Downs, as its name suggests, is intrinsically linked to the National Park. Tucked away deep in the heart of West Sussex this romantic country hotel and restaurant has far reaching views of the Downs, and is just a short hop and a skip away from Chichester and Petworth.
Visitors to the THE PIG-in the South Downs will be pleased to know that their generosity over the last year will also be helping to increase the biodiversity of the area. As part of the Visitor Giving scheme with the South Downs Trust, guests of THE PIG-in the South Downs had the option to give a little extra with each visit, by adding £1 on to their restaurant bill. The funds raised have gone towards our Beelines initiative.
Beelines – Supporting our Pollinators
Through the Beelines initiative we work with lots of landowners across the South Downs to plant new wildflower corridors connecting pockets of species-rich chalk grassland with the hope of creating a bee and butterfly super-highway! We help to fund the costs associated with establishing or restoring pollinator habitat. This could be covering the costs of wildflower seed, equipment, cut and collect mowing services or machinery hire for ground preparation ahead of sowing. In some circumstances we have supported infrastructure to support conservation grazing projects on farms.
Through the Visitor Giving partnership in 2024-25, plus donations from THE PIG, THE PIG-in the South Downs donated and raised a whopping £14,181.93 – which could equate to the creation of more than 5000 square metres of pollinator habitat!
To mark this great partnership and to say a big thank you from the South Downs Trust, Chris Hannon – Sustainable Business lead at the South Downs National Park Authority, last week presented THE PIG-in the South Downs with a special certificate.
Mark Jones, Hotel Director at THE PIG in the South Downs said:
We’re so proud to support the South Downs National Park Trust’s Beelines project. It’s a wonderful opportunity to give back and help the wildlife right on our doorstep! We love our bees here at THE PIG, we are passionate about pollinators and helping local biodiversity thrive. The wildflower corridors created via Beelines are so important, protecting the natural beauty of the South Downs for future generations.
The donation from THE PIG just goes to show how collecting small donations can soon add up to make a big difference. If you would like to find out more about our Visitor Giving scheme please visit – South Downs Trust