Durham Wildlife Trust, located in North West Durham, is one of the few highly innovative and effective charitable endeavours in the UK that have recently received a financial boost from the ScottishPower Foundation.
The trust will be granted £90,831 by the foundation, as part of their tenth-anniversary festivities. In total, nineteen charities across England, Scotland, and Wales have been granted almost £1.2 million to support various initiatives, such as promoting climate and biodiversity awareness and addressing societal skill and educational disparities.
For 50 years Durham Wildlife Trust has been a leading conservation organisation in our local area. It plays a vital role in protecting and conserving the spectacular wildlife we have right on our doorstep to ensure it is as impressive for generations to come.
Through the Cuthbert Moor Restoration project, the Durham Wildlife Trust is aiming to restore the peat and bog habitats to realise the true ecological and environmental potential of this beautiful northern English landscape. The support from the Foundation will specifically help to fund the recruitment of a dedicated Cuthbert Moor Management Officer as the project undertakes extensive baseline surveys while engaging with the local community and establishing volunteering opportunities.
Commenting, Richard Holden MP said:
“One of the things I love most about living here in North West Durham is the access to, and abundance of, nature all around us. Within a short walk you can be entirely immersed in nature.
“Far too often, people do not realise the work that goes on behind the scenes at places like Durham Wildlife Trust to ensure our pristine natural surroundings are protected and conserved for future generations. Rather like a duck swimming, you cannot see the legs paddling away hard.
“Having done lots of work myself on helping to protect our invaluable and ecologically significant peat bogs, both on the ground and raising it in Parliament, I know how important the work this money will fund is. I am delighted that Durham Wildlife Trust has received this well-deserved money and look forward to enjoying the benefits it will no-doubt entail.”
Commenting, ScottishPower Foundation’s Executive Officer and Trustee, Melanie Hill, said:
“This is an incredibly exciting year for us at the ScottishPower Foundation as we’re celebrating our tenth anniversary and the award of over £1.2 million to charitable initiatives across the UK.
“We’re proud to support Durham Wildlife Trust’s Cuthbert Moor Restoration project, as one of the Foundation’s main aims is to contribute to the protection and conservation of habitats and the environment.”
