Description
An exciting opportunity has arisen to provide the design and development of a new website plus three linked microsites with hosting and support for the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA).
The New Forest National Park is one of the UK's 15 national parks - a world capital for wildlife with the greatest proportion of land internationally-protected for nature conservation of any local authority. It also sees 15 million day visits a year and has 34,000 residents. Our National Park is a living, working landscape for all with a rich tradition of 'commoning' - it is shaped by the free-roaming animals who are known as the 'architects of the Forest'.
Our website serves as a crucial gateway, providing access to all, services to residents and fostering stakeholder engagement to ensure the future wellbeing of this exceptional place.
The Authority wishes to deliver a new website that inspires a sense of pride in our iconic National Park, helps people to enjoy and help care for it and that is built around our vision:
'A national beacon for a sustainable future where nature and people flourish.'
This is summarised in our strapline:
'Protecting together - shaping tomorrow'
The National Park has nine 'special qualities' which help define it:
• The New Forest's outstanding natural beauty: the sights, sounds and smells of ancient woodland with large veteran trees, heathland, bog, autumn colour and an unspoilt coastline, with views of the Solent and Isle of Wight.
• An extraordinary diversity of plants and animals and habitats of national and international importance.
• A unique historic, cultural and archaeological heritage, from Royal hunting ground, to ship-building, salt making and 500 years of military coastal defence.
• An historic commoning system, that maintains so much of what people know and love as 'the New Forest' forming the heart of a working landscape based on farming and forestry.
• The iconic New Forest pony together with donkeys, pigs and cattle roaming free
• Tranquillity in the midst of the busy, built up south of England.
• Wonderful opportunities for quiet recreation, learning and discovery in one of the last extensive gentle landscapes in the south including unmatched open access on foot and horseback.
• A healthy environment: fresh air, clean water, local produce and a sense of 'wildness'
• Strong and distinctive local communities with a real pride in and sense of identity with their local area.