Access will be improved to a nature reserve thanks to a £10,000 lottery grant.

Gazen Salts at Sandwich is to get the money from the Awards for All Scheme.

It has received the maximum grant to spruce up the 15-acre site, with improved access for the 10,000 annual visitors and to help recruit more volunteers.

The reserve was once a barren field and refuse tip but is now a haven for countless animals including the endangered water vole, butterflies and 35 species of breeding bird.

“This reserve is so important to the area,” she said warden Karen Potter. “Our objective has been to put back as many natural wildlife habitats as possible and now we have birds such as black caps, red warblers and turtledoves as well as flora that support all our many animals.”

Miss Potter said the money will help with improving access for people with disabilities and in particular for them to be able to visit the central wildfowl lake.

She added that by building up their volunteer base they will be able to cater for more people on site and involve community groups too.

Last year Gazen Salts narrowly missed out on an £86,500 lottery windfall from the People’s Millions competition.

Awards for All is the small grants scheme administered by the Big Lottery Fund on behalf of Lottery good cause funders, Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund and Sport England.