Cotswold Lakes Trust is a charity dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of the Cotswold Water Park for the benefit of wildlife and people.
We aim to be the focal point for the protection and improvement of the Cotswold Water Park’s rich natural environment and for any discussion concerning the future development of leisure and recreation facilities and public access in the Cotswold Water Park.
We manage our sites sensitively, ensuring that their importance for wildlife is conserved and wherever possible enhanced.
We aim to carry out landscape-scale wildlife conservation and enhancement projects at our sites and across the Cotswold Water Park in partnership with others.
We provide advice to mineral companies, landowners and local communities on wildlife issues
Wherever possible we encourage the public to access our sites for appropriate recreational purposes.
We pursue area wide initiatives to improve responsible access to and around the Cotswold Water Park.
We aim to engage increasingly with visitors, the local community, schools and universities to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the heritage, wildlife and landscape of the Cotswold Water Park. This will encompass, among other things, migratory birdlife, rich fossil finds in the sedimentary sand and gravel, precious wildflower meadows, the area’s biodiversity as well as the health and well-being to be found in the outdoors.
In supporting the Cotswold Water Park, we are the primary gateway for hundreds of thousands of visitors, residents, leisure operators, walkers, cyclists, birders, anglers, horse riders, dreamers and nature lovers on land or water. We want all visitors to value their time here. As a charity we encourage the benefits to be gained from the use of our own destination sites.
We are not central or local government funded. We work with donors, charitable funds, individuals, companies, and our membership. In addition, we operate our own sites commercially to make sure collectively we are here to develop the Cotswold Water Park for the benefit of wildlife and people.