Leading estate agent Swoffers has been helping people find dream homes since 1972, and now it’s the turn of local wildlife.
Swoffers’ new ‘Cheep’ homes initiative is giving away 200 handcrafted bird boxes to islanders and community projects wanting to create safe spaces for birds to nest.
The bird boxes have been built by the workshop at Guernsey Prison and are free to take away. However, donations to the Guernsey branch of RSPB are encouraged.
‘Finding people homes is what we do and we really liked the idea of extending that to Guernsey’s wildlife and giving nature a home,’ said Swoffers director Spencer Noyon.
‘The workshop at Guernsey Prison is an extremely worthwhile project, one we’re delighted to support, and they’ve done a fantastic job building the bird boxes.
‘Now we want to encourage islanders to come by and pick one up and, if possible, kindly leave a donation for the RSPB, which does brilliant work locally.’
Swoffers is also asking for any schools, residential homes or community projects wanting bird boxes to please get in touch.
‘Providing homes for nature is really important and really easy – you don’t need a big garden, your outdoor space will join up with others creating corridors of habitat for nature. Just doing one thing for nature can make all the difference,’ said RSPB Guernsey group leader Donna Francis.
‘Boxes can provide safe, nesting environments for a range of birds. Whether birds settle in them depends on where your garden is and what’s around it so why not plant for wildlife too? They’ve also got to be positioned correctly and sheltered from harsh weather, so it’s best to follow RSPB instructions.’
The Cheep Homes bird boxes are available to collect from Swoffers Estate Agents, Estate House, Ann’s Place, St Peter Port. Call 711766 for more information.
