A DECADE of achievements are being celebrated by Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust.

Charged 10 years ago with caring for some of the Bay's best loved open spaces and coastline and its wildlife, the trust has developed into a charity whose work is recognised around the country as ground-breaking.

The independent, purpose-built charitable trust was set up by Torbay Council which put many of its most prominent sites into its care, such as Cockington Country Park, Berry Head and half of its coastline. A dedicated team of staff were transferred to the trust together with equipment and buildings.

Trust chairman Tim Key said: "This was unique and was a bold move by any standards. "The aim was firstly to safeguard the sites and secondly to unleash the potential that charitable status could bring to this sphere of work — stimulating greater community engagement, accessing specialist funding streams and focusing on the key work of heritage conservation and people's enjoyment of that heritage."

For every £1 received from the council in maintenance grant, the trust has generation an additional £4, having attracted more than £6.2million from external funders during the decade.

Over the years the trust has grown, taken responsibility for more areas. Today it looks after 1,750 acres of coast and countryside, as well as a network of nature reserves, farms, woodlands, historic buildings, footpaths and recreational spaces.

Some 45,000 people have taken part in the different activities at trust sites over the years. Their aim is to help local residents and visitors discover and appreciate the many natural and historic gems in the Bay, but also to help to look after it themselves.

Around 70,000 school children have also visited trust sites for organised events learning about not only the natural world, but history, citizenship and other curriculum-link subjects.

Mr Key said: "When the trust was set up our aim was to protect Torbay's wonderful natural heritage and find a better way of caring for it. Everyone involved — the staff, trustees and officers and members of the council — believed that charitable status would help us achieve this, because we would be better able to access funding, and to win support from the community.

"However, I can truly say that I did not, at that time, envisage the amount that would actually be achieved in the first 10 years; both in the amazingly wide range, and depth of activity undertaken, and in the value the trust has contributed to the Bay and its residents.

"This is all thanks to the support we have received from funders, government bodies, the council, local people and visitors, and as a result the trust has been able to establish a strong base and lasting framework for continuing its work into the future."

More than 130 local people currently give their time voluntarily to help the trust, the equivalent to the trust employing six full-time staff. Some past volunteers have gone on to new careers thanks to their experience. Several friends groups and other forums have been established to consult and involve people in the management of their local areas.

Major achievements include securing £1.8million from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Berry Head On the Edge project to preserve the Napoleonic war fortifications but also the rare plant and animal colonies in the nationally recognised nature reserve; working with the council to win £2.7million of Government funding to regenerate Cockington Court as well as winning 12 consecutive Green Flags for the park; establishing an £1.9million organic demonstration farm at Occombe Farm in Paignton with farm shop and cafe visited by more than 250,000 people a year. The trust has recently won £200,000 grant funding to trial various 'green' projects in Torbay.

A community garden and kitchen has been established and education facilities expanded as part of a £600,000 grant-funded project promoting local food.

The trust is also playing a leading role in researching and mapping the marine life in Tor Bay, as well as setting up the Seashore educational centre in Goodrington which offers a series of educational activities. It also runs the Bay's only green burial site at Gallows Gate.

In 2003 the trust started working with Torquay's Kents Cavern and other partners which culminated in Torbay being granted international Global Geopark status.

In 2004 the trust won a national award in recognition of the quality of its management of sites of special scientific interest.

The trust also holds fundraising activities, such as the Occombe Beer Festival and Music Festival. Additional income is made by the trading arm Torbay Coast and Countryside Enterprises, which includes car parks and the farm shop and cafe at Occombe. Legacies have also been made and it is hoped more people will remember the trust in their will.

The trust is celebrating with an Occombe Local Food Celebration on September 19, with fun activities for children, tours of the new garden, food tastings and a barbecue. It runs from 10.30am to 4pm and is free.