ISLE of Wight environmental charity, Gift to Nature, will host the Brading Faerie Festival and Wood Fair on Sunday.

The event, which starts at noon at Brading Down, is aimed at spreading awareness about the charity’s work and raising funds to maintain the 29 public sites they look after.

Assisted by local fairy and wood folk, the day’s activities will be punctuated with a range of talented entertainers and tributes to the wonder of nature — from musicians to unicorn petting ponies.

Local artisans will be on site throughout the day, as will a variety of food and drink stalls, although visitors are invited to bring their own picnic to the wooded glade of Bully’s Pit.

Gift to Nature fundraiser Vanessa Langley said: "This is the second year we have been able to invite people into Bully’s Pit to discover a rarely seen part of Brading Down.

"It is such a tranquil and charming setting that it seemed the perfect place to celebrate our local craftspeople and traders, who rely on the land for materials and inspiration, and the fairy magic is just a natural part of the Downs' atmosphere."

Gift to Nature has been maintaining and gradually upgrading many of the Isle of Wight Council’s portfolio of countryside sites since 2016, and has already overseen major projects at Brading Down, Dodnor Creek, Dickson’s Copse and Merstone Station.

The charity is set to embark on its latest project at Golden Hill Country Park, with aid from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

To find out more about the charity and festival, visit www.gifttonature.org.uk

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