Help create and restore Cumbria’s hedgerows
THE REAL HEDGE FUND
What’s so great about hedges?
Why do hedgerows need your help?
Got a Hedge Project you'd like help with?
If you are planning to make a hedge why not apply to see if you qualify for a grant
Donate Now
Where does your money go?
It costs around £25 to plant and protect each new metre of hedgerow. Using saplings and fencing.
We have set an initial target of £100,000 which will help plant or restore 4kms of hedgerow in the Lake District and Cumbria.
It’s a great start – but we have plans to do the same in other areas.
One project we are working with is in the Ullswater Valley with Danny Teasdale of Ullswater CIC he is speaking above on why hedges matter.
Sadly over the last 70 years our hedgerows have become significantly reduced both in the length and in quality. Now seems a really excellent opportunity to engage and support farmers, landowners and communities to reinstate and improve their hedgerows.
We are working with our partners The Federation for Common Land, Ullswater CIC , Food, Farming and Countryside Commission and The Lake District National Park.
We want to showcase good practice would enable and encourage others to participate snowballing the length and quality of hedgerows throughout Cumbria.
The funding will be distributed in the form of grants that will help us monitor:
- Long term maintenance and care
- Impact of the planting
- Improving and creating high quality hedgerow habitat in Cumbria
- Increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of hedgerows in the landscape
- Our hedges are good Value for Money – ensuring this money raised compliments any other sources of funding that farmers and landowners can access.
Round 1 Grants – Awarded April 2021:
Four projects were selected in the first round of funding, a brief summary of each can be found below:
- Holghyll Wood to Lacet Hay Meadow, Hutton Head Farm, Penrith. A new 84metre ‘corridor’ hedge will be created to join a 20 acre semi-natural ancient woodland (The Holghyll Wood) with a 9 acre hay meadow (Lacet Hill). The new hedge will link key habitats together creating an important wildlife corridor.
- Holme House Farm, Skelsmergh
A new hedge will be created around the south and east boundaries of Holme House Farm and will extend the native woodland by 3000 sq m. Holme House Farm are a co-housing group building 5 eco-homes and living communally on a currently derelict farm with 12 acres of land in the River Sprint valley. The group seek to live together in ways that minimise the environmental impact and restore and enhance the wildlife and habitats of the woodland, river and meadows on our land. - Low Park Hedge, Tebay
To restore an ancient hedge and fence both sides to protect it. Currently, the hedge is very overgrown but is used by red squirrels. It is a vital link between ancient woodland and a newly established wildlife area. Low Borrowbridge Farm is trying to make a 3.5-mile nature recovery network for the squirrels, working with Penrith Red Squirrels. - Barn at Thwaite Head, Ulverston
A restoration project of an old barn and traditional orchard, using regenerative and holistic management principles. The installation of the new hedgerow will create additional biodiversity and benefit future orchard tree plantings and meadow grasses by creating a biodiverse area which can be resilient to pests, and benefit local wildlife and thrive.
The next round of funding will between Monday 30th August and Sunday 5pm 12th September with £5,000 available. Further information about how to apply and the criteria will be available on the charities grant funding section of their website, lakedistrictfoundation.org/apply-for-a-grant/.
Get Invoved
- Local links – We care about hedgerows in the Lake District and Cumbria – but also about hedges in your community? Do you have good examples please send images or links to great community projects.
- Get in touch with your pictures and stories of hedges that you see out and about?
- Is there a hedge near you to have a look at? They are so much more than boundaries.
- We are working on a downloadable worksheet, one for each season, that helps understand what is in your hedge please come back soon also sign up for our newsletter to keep up to date.
- Come and visit them – opportunities may be available soon to join hedge planting sessions.
Partners and stakeholders
As the Lead Partner we are working with Ullswater CIC , Food, Farming and Countryside Commission , Eden Rivers Trust , Cumbria Wildlife Trust and The Lake District National Park
