A WILDLIFE charity in Worcestershire is bidding for a cash boost from the Tesco Bags of Help scheme, to help disabled residents visit the Upton Warren Wetland Reserve.

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust is hoping to secure enough votes in two Tesco stores to help visitors with disabilities access the reserve, by constructing an accessible birdwatching hide.

The Bags of Help initiative will see grants of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 - all raised from the 5p bag levy - awarded to greenspace projects across the county.

Andy Harris, conservation officer for the trust, said: "It’s fantastic news that Tesco and Groundwork have chosen us as one of the three projects in this area.

“Upton Warren gets in excess of 7,000 visitors each year – last weekend alone more than 1000 people visited when a rare bird stopped there for a week during its migration.

“We’ve been working with a small organisation, Birding For All, that promotes access to birdwatching sites for people with disabilities to ensure that anything we construct is suitable for them.

“Of course, the more votes and money we receive, the better the hide will be."

The proposed hide would overlook a pool that currently has no birdwatching facilities, and could bring visitors closer to birds such as kingfishers, reed warblers and bitterns.

Shoppers to Tesco Express stores in Droitwich and Pershore can vote for their favourite three projects from Monday, September 26 to Sunday, October 9.

For more information about the Upton Warren Wetland Reserve, visit worcswildlifetrust.co.uk.