Our Coast, Our Sea - Red hot seller will boost fire appeal

10 August 2010

Greggs the Bakers is helping Northumberland Wildlife trust re-build its Hauxley Visitor Centre overlooking Druridge Bay which was devastated by fire in a suspected arson attack at the end of June.

From Monday 30 August to Saturday 25 September, bakers Greggs will turn out 3,000 red squirrel gingerbread biscuits a week at its plant in Gosforth in Newcastle.

The biscuits will be sold in 52 Greggs shops with 10p a time going to the wildlife charity’s £100,000 Hauxley Fire Appeal to help rebuild the destroyed visitor centre.

The Visitor Centre was open to visitors all year round and offered
magnificent panoramic views across the whole of Druridge Bay. On a clear day, visitors could see Souter Lighthouse near South Shields, 25 miles away. It was very popular with bird watchers, tourists and residents of the area. The building was also used for education classes and by community groups such as the Astronomical Society. It is estimated that over 10,000 people visited the building each year.

The Hauxley site is best known for its birds but also plays host to some fabulous flowers including: kidney vetch, viper’s bugloss, bloody cranesbill and northern marsh orchid, making it an ideal place to spot a large variety of butterflies.

Mike Pratt, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Chief Executive said: “The support we are receiving from Greggs is absolutely fabulous. The money raised will boost our Hauxley Fire Appeal and will allow us to build a better centre from which people can watch wildlife and where children can study.”

Pupils from Gosforth Junior High School in Newcastle visited the bakery at the end of the summer term to try their hand with a piping bag and to sample the prototype biscuits before they go on sale. Needless to say, they were given the thumbs up all round.