This evening, the John Clare Countryside partnership will gather partners and supporters in the Knights’ Chamber at Peterborough Cathedral to mark an important milestone in the project’s growth. The event will look ahead to the next phase of this ambitious landscape‑scale initiative, highlighting plans to expand nature recovery, strengthen community access and deepen the project’s cultural reach.
Attendees will hear about upcoming work to create new nature reserves, restore more of the rare habitats that define the area, and extend the network of guided and self‑guided health and wellbeing walks that help people connect with the countryside that inspired John Clare. The partnership will also introduce its new patrons, who will play a significant role in championing the project’s long‑term vision.
The evening will feature keynote remarks from leaders shaping the region’s environmental and civic future:
- Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England
- Paul Bristow, Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough
- Shabina Qayyum, Leader of Peterborough City Council
- Sam Carling, MP for North West Cambridgeshire
The event will culminate in the official launch of the new John Clare Countryside brochure, which showcases how nature, heritage, wellbeing and economic opportunity come together to form a golden, once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity for Peterborough and the surrounding area.