The Lake District Foundation, the local conservation charity, is spearheading a fundraising campaign, The Real Hedge Fund, to conserve and reinstate native hedgerows.
The charity participated in the UK’s biggest match funding challenge in December, The Big Give Christmas Challenge and successfully raised £14,000 for the campaign.
Sarah Swindley, Lake District Foundation’s CEO said, “Thank you to everyone who donated during The Big Give week in December. A special thanks to The Cedar Manor Hotel, The Wild Hart, Restore Our Planet, Tern Trust, Lake District Estates, Victrix and the Hedge and Woodland Conservationists who pledged their support to help kick start the campaign. I am delighted to share with you that the funds raised will enable 560 metres of native hedgerows to be planted across the Lake District. Thank you.”
The Lake District Foundation received a pledge from a conservation group based in East Berkshire who had recently completed planting hedgerows on the Crown Estate and donated some of their funds to the Big Give Christmas Challenge for the Real Hedge Fund campaign.
Christopher Kersley, Hedge and Woodland Conservationists (HAWCS) said: “HAWCs is a small group of local enthusiasts affiliated to the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers and to the British Hedgelaying Society. We aim to keep the ancient crafts of hedgelaying and coppicing alive, to conserve and maintain hedgerows, woodlands, and rights of way for the benefit of the public and the wildlife and educate the public in the principles and practice of nature conservation. We were delighted to support the Real Hedge Fund campaign as it’s such a wonderful cause and in line with our aims as a conservation group.”
You can view further information about HAWCS on their website: www.hawc.org.uk
The Real Hedge Fund campaign aims to highlight the importance of hedgerows in the environment and the role within the cultural and natural heritage of the Lake District. The campaign has an ambitious target to plant 4,000 metres of native hedgerows across the Lake District and aims to raise £100,000 to make this happen.
The Lake District Foundation launched the campaign in June 2020 in partnership with Ullswater Catchment Management CIC, The Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust and Eden Rivers Trust.
The campaign is still live, and you can still donate. To find out more about the Real Hedge Fund and to donate visit lakedistrictfoundation.org/the-real-hedge-fund/