Your report (Farming rethink demanded as wildlife suffers, 27 August), mentioning the fact that the “amount of time given by conservation volunteers has fallen”, reveals a hidden effect of austerity hurting people as much as the planet. In the first round of austerity cuts one nearby local authority reduced its grants to environmental bodies. For my learning-disabled son the budget cut meant the conservation volunteers’ organisation could no longer offer the free pick-up service to enable people from the surrounding areas to reach the site where they worked, often way beyond the reach of public transport. For my son it meant a loss of his “job”, which he was very proud of. He also lost the companionship of the people he’d worked alongside for several years, the chance to work as an equal with disabled and non-disabled people from all walks of life, and the opportunity to learn new skills. Modern farming methods no doubt have caused the main damage to our wildlife, but austerity has played its part by limiting attempts at remediation by environmental groups.
Pat Sanchez
Littleborough, Lancashire
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