Swifts in the Community – Project Update

Thanks to generous donations received by LDF, we were able to support `Swifts in the Community’. A project made up of enthusiastic volunteers who monitor the numbers of nesting swifts, which sadly are in decline partly due to modern building design. Fortunately, survey work has been able to continue throughout the Covid-19 pandemic with volunteers carrying out their monitoring whilst observing social distancing rules. However, planned educational talks and presentations have had to go on hold for the time being.

“The grant money has enabled us to purchase nesting boxes which are being used in areas where there are only a small number of known nest sites. These small groups of birds are very vulnerable to disturbance as they are likely to desert an area if something stops their successful breeding. By providing nesting boxes in strategic locations it is hoped that more swifts will be attracted to the vicinity helping to preserve their presence.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic we have been unable to hold our planned educational visits to local schools. This has been particularly disappointing as Crosthwaite school has swifts nesting in the school building. However, during the autumn/winter we will update our leaflets and printed material ready to distribute when circumstances allow.

We would like to thank LDF for supporting our project. It is thanks to their funding that we are able to continue to support the Swifts in our Community.”

To ensure that more projects like this can continue, please DONATE to the Lake District Foundation, your support really does make a difference.

Get Coniston buzzing – Project Update on this exciting project to reintroduce wildflower meadow in Coniston.

Thanks to generous donations to the Lake District Foundation, we made a grant to Coniston Wildflower Meadow project in December last year. With wildflower meadows in serious decline, this project seeks to turn a green space in the centre of Coniston into a beautiful wildflower meadow with information boards explaining the benefits for wildlife and species including bees and other pollinators.

Despite the unforeseen restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, planting of the new wildflower meadow has taken place earlier this month and all the signs are looking good for pollinators in Coniston.

“Our plans were to complete the meadow in May, but unfortunately Covid-19 restrictions meant we had to put this back until late summer. Fortunately, we were able to prepare the ground for planting in September and planted half of the area in wildflower turf and half with seeds to compare the results for future projects. Within a couple of hours of planting the turf bees were already attracted to the area. Surely a good sign for things to come!

The local secondary school have been involved too, carrying out a quadrant survey of the area prior to planting and with the help of a local expert they will continue to study the area next year. An information board is being created by a local artist highlighting the importance of wildflower meadows and a small fence will be erected around the site.

We are extremely grateful to the Lake District Foundation for their support and hope that our project will encourage others to create their very own wildflower meadow.”

To ensure that more projects like this can continue, please DONATE to the Lake District Foundation, your support really does make a difference.

Lake District Shortlisted for share of £50 Million Heritage Horizons Funding

We are so excited that the Lake District Foundation, on behalf of the Lake District National Park Partnership, is one of 12 organisations selected to take forward a development proposal to the Heritage Horizons Awards, competing for a share of £50 million.

Our proposal is titled:

Secured for our future – Nature, World Heritage and Farming in the Lake District

It focuses on 3 closely connected areas:

Nature Recovery and Climate Resilience, delivering farmer and community led nature recovery, providing bigger, better and more joined up habitats, storing carbon and increasing resilience to climate change.
Securing and futureproofing our farming heritage and culture in our World Heritage Site
Engaging a new generation with our work and with the Lake District, which has always been a place of inspiration for the nation.

Read the full Press Release or watch a short video

LDF Welcome’s Three more new Businesses

The Lake District Foundation are always pleased to welcome the support of new businesses and so we are excited to announce not one, but three, local businesses who share our desire to secure the future of the lake district and Cumbria for future generations.

This is what they said joining the LDF means to them:

Rothay Manor “The Lake District Foundation is a charity that is close to our hearts. We are so passionate about the Lake District and will do all that we can to help maintain and support our beautiful natural heritage. It’s not always easy to get involved in charitable organisations when you run your own business and day-to-day life gets in the way, but the Lake District Foundation have made it really easy for us, and our guests, to get on board. The Lake District is so important to so many people, for so many different reasons and it’s important for us to protect this natural environment for all visitors, present and future.

Within our first 3 months of membership we were lucky to hold a Red Squirrel workshop at our hotel, and I’m excited for the future to see what other exciting projects we can get involved in.”Jenna Shail – Owner of Rothay Manor

Healthy Human Life shares many mutual passions with the LDF. We are passionate about inspiring others to care for the planet and taking an active role in preserving its beauty.

The Lake District is a gift that keeps on giving for so many but needs our help for its longevity.

Healthy Human’s mission is to encourage healthier lifestyle choices such as the reduction of single use plastics to assist in the sustainability of this beautiful land and planet beyond. Healthy Human- Healthy Planet.

We are proud to support the LDF on its missions to maintain this priceless landscape.

Danielle Frazer – Director of Healthy Human Life UK

As the oldest independently owned climbing shop in the Lake District, The Climbers Shop is very proud to support the Lake District Foundation in its work raising funds to protect our stunning National Park.

“In the 60 years that we have been trading, the number of walkers, climbers and runners enjoying the great outdoors has exploded. Our livelihood depends on selling equipment to customers so they can enjoy the Lake District safely in all weathers and for that reason we have a responsibility to help protect the environment we love for generations to come.”

Cathy Casey – Director of The Climber’s Shop (Hooked on Granite Ltd)

Green Business Network

The Lake District Foundation cares about our environment – and we know that our supporters do too. With our Green Business Network we want to work together. To share tips and experience of cost effective ways to make your business greener.

If you want to know more about `green’ business network opportunities, or share your experiences and ideas then come along to one of our breakfast meetings. More details and how to book your place can be found here. If you would like to see the Top 10 tips for easy green business solutions, click here.

Book the next network meeting now

Visit our Green Business page

A-ha Distribution supports LDF

The Lake District Foundation is pleased to welcome A-ha Distribution to its growing number of business supporters.

A-ha Distribution are a local company with a huge love of the area we work and live in. So much of our work is about distributing information about the fabulous things to see and do in Cumbria and the Lake District. We know the landscape, heritage and wildlife are a huge part of why our customers need us. It makes sense that we want to be part of the business community that protects it. We are pleased to support The Lake District Foundation and no doubt you will see their leaflets in our distribution stands so much more now.

There is another reason we want to support the work done by The Lake District Foundation. We are big supporters of our community too. In the last year we have distributed over 27 000 child focussed maps with activity booklets to the children in Cumbria. We want this precious natural outdoor playground to be in a condition our children can benefit from for years to come.

Elaine Rengers – Director

A warm welcome to our new supporter

A very warm welcome to Matson Ground Estate Company. The newest addition to our business supporter community.

Comprising two working farms, several holiday cottages, residential lets and commercial units, all situated in some of the most breathtaking scenery the Lake District has to offer, Matson Ground Estate Company is looking forward to working with the Lake District Foundation and its supporters.

Rachel Thomas, MD says `We are acutely aware that as the number of visitors to this beautiful part of the country increases, so does the need to protect and preserve what we are lucky enough to have on our doorstep. Which is why we have chosen to support the Lake District Foundation.

This represents a fantastic opportunity to reduce any negative impact on the local environment, while at the same time promoting the Lake District as a world-class visitor destination.’

Funding for local projects 2019

The Lake District Foundation has revealed the nine projects which will receive funds from the latest round of grant funding. The successful projects from across Cumbria each will receive between £1,000 and £2,500.

In total 27 applications were received, making it a difficult task to choose which projects should benefit from funding.

Sarah Swindley, CEO Lake District Foundation said

`Its fantastic to see the local conservation work carried out across the county. Often, this is mainly led by volunteers doing amazing things in their free time. Our natural world would be much poorer without them, and we are happy to support where we can. It’s thanks to our work with local tourism businesses and visitors that we are able to generate this funding, and we would like to thank them for their ongoing support.’

The nine chosen projects were each awarded funding based on criteria including links to the environment, wildlife and cultural heritage. They are:

`Growing Well’ School children will be invited to visit their site at Sizergh Farm to learn how food is grown, what it needs to grow, get hands on in an activity, and discover other wildlife, inspiring future generations to get involved in horticulture and the natural world.

`Bee Hide’ Project (Heron Hill School) will provide a safe, inclusive, viewing area for the children and the wider community to enjoy and learn about bee keeping and the importance of bees in our ecosystem.

The Herdwick Sheep Breeder’s Society was awarded funding for the repair of their marquee which suffered storm damage. This is vital to the future of our local shows and links strongly to our World Heritage status.

Wildlife and Heritage Garden (Calderbridge and Ponsonby Communities) aims to rejuvenate the community areas to attract more wildlife and in so doing bring together different generations.

Swifts in the Community (SITC) have an army of volunteers who monitor the numbers of nesting swifts, which are in decline due to modern building design. They also give lots of local advice about how best to support these world travellers.

Staveley Woodlands (Cumbria Wildlife Trust) is a recently extended nature reserve. The project will involve walling off a section of land, hedging and the installation of bird and bat boxes, as well as creating a trail guide and way markers to guide people around the reserve.

`Space Invaders’ (South Cumbria River’s Trust) This is an ongoing project aimed at eradicating Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) such as Himalayan Balsam, and allowing native wildlife to thrive.

`Farming with Nature’ (Ullswater Catchment CIC) will see 40 wooden cages, each planted on farmland with one oak tree and surrounded by other scrub plants, providing habitat for other wildlife. The trees will help to improve soil structure and aid flood management.

`Coniston Wildflower Meadow’ (Coniston Parish Council) will see the community space in the centre of the village turned into a beautiful wildflower meadow.

New Business Supporter Park House Barn

Park House Barn is a working farm with a wedding and events venue that has magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. Here’s what Operations Manager, Francesca Morton has to say about becoming a business supporter for the Lake District Foundation. “We want to help and feel it is our duty to protect this environment. We are lucky enough to be situated in the beautiful South Lakes and feel that we should be doing our bit to give back. As a venue we see lots of visitors to the Lake District and we believe that with the correct promotion we will be able to make more people aware that as tourism grows maintenance grows and we need donations to help restore paths, woodlands and habitats so that everyone can keep enjoying our beautiful countryside.”

New Business Supporter Bath House

We are delighted that Bath House has joined us as a new Business Supporter.

Located in Sedbergh and the nearby village of Dent, this rural business is surrounded by the beautiful landscapes of the Dales and Lakes, a continual reminder of the need to preserve and care for the landscape and environment on our door step.

Bath House has seven shops in the Lakes and the north of England selling their natural skincare, perfumes and home fragrances. Ingredients are all sustainably sourced and eco-certified and with the rising awareness for the long term effects of plastics on the environment, they hope to reduce their use of plastic for bottles and jars by over 70% by next year, as well as trialling refills of their products. These are just some of the things the business is doing as they continue to strive to reduce any negative impact on the natural environment.

Creative and Brand Director, Nigel Brooks says “By supporting the Lake District Foundation, we can see the possibilities for creating tailored projects that can contribute to the awareness of the Foundation and raise money to help the projects it supports. It is a great scheme well worth supporting”.

Apply for a Grant…

Applications are invited from projects which share our goal that the Lake District and Cumbria will be an inspirational example of sustainable development in action, and a place where a prosperous economy, world-class visitor experiences and vibrant communities come together to sustain its spectacular landscape, wildlife and cultural heritage.

Sarah Swindley, Lake District Foundation’s CEO, said: “After a busy year fundraising, we come to the best bit – giving money away to support our fabulous natural world. We know that the communities of Cumbria have great ideas about how to do this and we look forward to receiving lots of applications.”

Applications close at 5pm on 20 September.

Find out more and how to apply

Japanese Tour Operators raise £15,540 for the Lake District Foundation

Japanese Tour Operators have collectively raised £15,540 for the Lake District Foundation in a year.

The participating businesses ask their customers who are booking a trip to the Lake District if they would like to make a £5 donation to the Lake District Foundation, and they receive a small gift in exchange.

Last year, we were delighted that the following tour operators were involved:

Club Tourism International
Eurasia Travel
Hanshin Friend Tour
Hanshin Friend Tour West Japan
Hankyu Travel International West Japan
JALPAK
JTB Media Retailing Kyushu Branch
JTB Media Retailing Tokyo
JTB Media Retailing West Japan
JTB Corporate LOOK JTB
Nippon Travel Agency
TDR Travel Express

Here are some pictures of our participating businesses celebrating another successful year!

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