Caldbeck Surgery would like to obtain competitive tenders for the installation of green technologies to include a heat pump system to replace existing central heating, and a solar PV and battery system at Caldbeck Surgery, Friar Row, Caldbeck, Wigton CA7 8DS
The Ennerdale Brewery Limited requires installation of a 50kW (appx) solar photovoltaic array and inverter at their premises.
The Alhambra Cinema would like to obtain quotes for the installation of Solar PV and Batteries
Appleby Creamery would like to obtain competitive tenders for the installation of a Solar PV panel system suitable for the Creamery roof at Cross Croft, Appleby CA16 6HX
Following a successful first round, the Lake District Foundation has received 35 registrations from organisations within the Lake District National Park in round 2, spread geographically across Allerdale, Copeland, Eden, South Lakeland District Council. The second round closed for registrations on Thursday 14th October 2021 5:00PM
Organisations that registered included limited companies, sole traders, registered charities and partnerships, and covered a range of sectors including Education, Food Production, Hospitality and leisure, Retail, Transport, Arts and Religion.
The majority of organisations employ under 10 people showing how important these funding sources are to small businesses.
Organisations were interested to receive support for the following types of projects; Solar PV, heat pumps, biomass boilers, insulation, LED lighting , energy efficient appliances, infrared heating and rainwater harvesting.
We look forward to assessing the eligibility of these organisations and hearing more about their Low Carbon projects in due course. The aim of this grant fund is to achieve savings of 86 tonnes of CO2 across the park.
Qualifying organisations will be awarded up to 60% of project costs, helping to make the move to low carbon technologies and practices more affordable.
To be notified when the next round opens for registrations (likely Spring 2022) please sign up to our newsletter here https://www.lakedistrictfoundation.org/apply-for-a-grant/
About this project
This project is supported by the European Structural Investment Fund as part of the Low Carbon Lake District Project.
The Low Carbon Lake District initiative is a comprehensive programme to help tackle climate change in the National Park, working in partnership with local businesses and communities to reduce greenhouse gases and prepare for the impacts of climate change. Led by the Lake District National Park Authority, other key partners include the Lake District Foundation, the National Trust, South Lakeland District Council and Cumbria Tourism.
The project has received funding from the England European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014- 2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) are the Managing Authorities for European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund funding through the Growth Programme, funds established by the European Union to help local areas stimulate their economic development. By investing in projects the funds will help to support innovation, businesses, skills and employment to improve local growth and create jobs. For more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/europeangrowth-funding
The Northern Powerhouse is a key aspect of this Government’s approach to addressing the productivity gap in the North and ensuring a stronger, more sustainable economy for all parts of the UK. Alongside over €1.5 billion of European Regional Development Fund support for businesses and communities across the North, the government has awarded £3.4 billion in three rounds of Growth Deals across the Northern Powerhouse.
State Aid Notice
This is a fantastic opportunity for businesses and community groups to make a real difference to the sustainability of Cumbria, to build back better, and create a greener future.
In order to avoid public funding distorting competition within the European common market, the European Commission sets limits on the levels of assistance which the public sector can provide to businesses (“the state aid rules”).
Any assistance provided through this scheme will comply with the state aid rules by applying De Minimis Exemption, EC Regulation 1407/2013 (24 December 2013) in the first instance, and the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), EC Regulation 651/2014 (17 June 2014) may also be applied.
Photo credit: Oliver Rudkin / 10:10
Following a successful first round, the Low Carbon Lake District Grant Scheme will re-open for registrations on Thursday 23rd September 2021 9:00 AM until Thursday 14th October 2021 5:00PM.
Funding is available to community groups and businesses from a range of sectors operating in the Lake District National Park, for delivery of projects that reduce operational carbon footprint. Examples include renewable energy generation and energy efficiency projects.
Qualifying organisations will be awarded up to 60% of project costs, helping to make the move to low carbon technologies and practices more affordable.
Sarah Swindley, CEO, Lake District Foundation says: “It’s fantastic news that there’s been such a great take up with these grants already and we are delighted to be able to support local organisations to deliver low carbon projects. The Grant Scheme can support SMEs and community groups across a wide range of sectors and we look forward to assessing the next round of projects.”
The registration form and guidance can be found on the Lake District Foundation website, lakedistrictfoundation.org/low-carbon-lake-district-grants.
Examples of organisations and projects already supported include Rookhow Quaker Meeting House who were awarded a grant to install an Air Source Heat Pump and loft insulation to improve the comfort levels in the building while reducing the carbon footprint. Levens Village Shop were awarded a grant to install an energy efficient refrigeration system. Up to 60% of the carbon footprint of retail businesses can be attributed to refrigeration, and this project addresses this issue.
Vanessa Riley, Levens Village Shop says: “We’d have struggled to complete the work without the grant received from the foundation. I would encourage anyone who is wanting to make improvements to their own carbon footprint to get in touch.”
The launch of the second round coincides with the Ambleside to Zero event on Thursday 23rd September 2021 where a member of the team will be on hand to answer any questions.
Unfortunately, we are not able to accept registrations from outside the National Park boundary in this round.
About this project
This project is supported by the European Structural Investment Fund as part of the Low Carbon Lake District Project.
The Low Carbon Lake District initiative is a comprehensive programme to help tackle climate change in the National Park, working in partnership with local businesses and communities to reduce greenhouse gases and prepare for the impacts of climate change. Led by the Lake District National Park Authority, other key partners include the Lake District Foundation, the National Trust, South Lakeland District Council and Cumbria Tourism.
The project has received funding from the England European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014- 2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) are the Managing Authorities for European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund funding through the Growth Programme, funds established by the European Union to help local areas stimulate their economic development. By investing in projects the funds will help to support innovation, businesses, skills and employment to improve local growth and create jobs. For more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/europeangrowth-funding
The Northern Powerhouse is a key aspect of this Government’s approach to addressing the productivity gap in the North and ensuring a stronger, more sustainable economy for all parts of the UK. Alongside over €1.5 billion of European Regional Development Fund support for businesses and communities across the North, the government has awarded £3.4 billion in three rounds of Growth Deals across the Northern Powerhouse.
State Aid Notice
This is a fantastic opportunity for businesses and community groups to make a real difference to the sustainability of Cumbria, to build back better, and create a greener future.
In order to avoid public funding distorting competition within the European common market, the European Commission sets limits on the levels of assistance which the public sector can provide to businesses (“the state aid rules”).
Any assistance provided through this scheme will comply with the state aid rules by applying De Minimis Exemption, EC Regulation 1407/2013 (24 December 2013) in the first instance, and the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), EC Regulation 651/2014 (17 June 2014) may also be applied.
Photo credit: Kristian Buus / 10:10
Nature is the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 and research shows that it is not just being in nature but how we interact with nature that counts.
During Mental Health Awareness Week, the Mental Health Foundation are inviting you to do three things:
The Lake District is a great place to improve your well-being, with breath-taking lakes and mountains to restore your balance.
HERE ARE OUR TOP 10 RESTORATIVE ACTIVITIES TO TRY IN THIS AMAZING PLACE:
Download your checklist here.
The Lake District Foundation will be delivering a project to raise awareness about Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning and safe visits to the countryside. The project is funded by Northern Gas who deliver gas to 2.7 million homes and businesses in the North East, Northern Cumbria and much of Yorkshire, and are committed to supporting the environment and local community.
Northern Gas are working hard to become a cleaner, greener business – reducing waste in their daily operations, and gearing up for a low carbon, sustainable future – targeting their daily operations to be net-zero by 2031. Before working with any business or organization we always follow our Working with Businesses Policy
Given that we are seeing a significant increase in the number of first-time visitors to the Lake District National Park and visitors who are new to camping and cooking in confined spaces it is likely that they are not aware of the risks of CO, which could have devastating effects on individuals but also local communities and businesses.
This project will provide important and potentially life-saving information to visitors and residents of the Lake District and Cumbria, and we anticipate that the lessons learned in this pilot project in the Lake District and Cumbria will be transferrable to other destinations.
The first stage of the project is to find out more about the current levels of awareness of the sources and risks of Carbon Monoxide poisoning amongst residents and visitors. If you would like to help to shape the campaign, and be in with a chance of winning a Hydroflask water bottle please take part in our short survey here.
In addition to the campaign, the LDF will be supporting Northern Gas to raise awareness of the priority Service Register. The Priority Services Register is a free service provided by suppliers and network operators, which enables vulnerable customers to receive extra support such as free gas safety checks and priority services in case of an incident.
The Lake District Foundation is excited to deliver this campaign that will enable more people to enjoy the Lake District and experience the health benefits that accessing nature and wild spaces brings.
We are delighted to share our annual report for the period April 2019 – April 2020 with you. We share our vision, reflect on our successes, and used a fantastic Cumbrian designer Emily Seaton to help us to bring our story to life.
In the report our Chair of Trustees, Gill Houston, reflects;
“Three years on from our inception we continue to deliver our vision, working through local partnerships to deliver leading edge research and innovative fund-raising schemes. This year we conclude our NESTA funded Rethinking Parks Project with insightful findings regarding the use of contactless technologies for fund-raising. Our fund-raising, and critically the generous donations from you our supporters, has enabled many local organisations to undertake a wide range of projects.”
Our timeline of the year started with our first outdoor contactless donation points going live in April 2019, as part of our Nesta Rethinking Parks project, and ended with an invitation to apply to the National Lottery Heritage Fund Heritage Horizons Programme in March 2020, one of just 12 organisations nationally invited to compete for a share of £50m to help revolutionise UK Heritage. But we know we can’t make a difference by working alone. Sarah Swindley, CEO, says;
“Working in partnership is at the heart of what we do, and we continue to make these connections for the benefit of this amazing place and those who love it.”
This year we awarded small grants to nine local community projects from our Small Grants Fund. Our Small Grants Fund is made possible thanks to donations from businesses in the tourism economy across the Lake District National Park and Cumbria. They know that their visitors and customers value this special place and are keen to have the opportunity to put something back. Local community groups can apply for grants of up to £2500 for creative and sustainable projects which support our aims of sustaining the spectacular landscape, wildlife and cultural heritage of the Lake District.
We worked with over 150 businesses last year, supporting them to reach their fundraising goals and give something back to this fantastic county. One such businesses is Conquer Lake District. They create beautifully designed patches and gifts which are eye catching and make the perfect keepsake for treasured memories of a Lake District visit. They partnered with the Lake District Foundation in 2019, and decided to donate 5% from every single product sold, both online and in their 40 stockists, raising an impressive £2,013.41 in one year!
Owner Caroline Fisher says;
“Conquer Lake District are a local business with a passion for the outdoors and believe it is our responsibility to promote, protect and preserve our incredible National Park. We may be a small business, but we are proud to have made such a huge commitment and it was important to us to build a charitable element into our strategy from the beginning. We believe in making quality products that connect people with the projects that care for our majestic yet delicate National Park.”
Since writing this annual report, the full impact of the Corona Virus Pandemic is becoming increasingly evident. However, we are continuing to work to look after the Lake District and our natural world. Our climate emergency isn’t going away, and the pandemic has highlighted just how interconnected and dependent we are on our natural world.
Sarah Swindley says;
“We have seen how nature is providing real solace to people in these difficult times, and the positive benefits that people are reporting helps to underline just how important it is that, as we come out of this pandemic, we tackle the problems facing nature and look ahead to a green recovery.
I’m excited about the future of the organisation, not least because of the opportunity that the National Lottery Heritage Fund Heritage Horizons programme presents – and which you can read more about in this annual report. Through this programme of work, we are leading a collective ambition to create the largest nature recovery network in the country and will work tirelessly to make this happen, for the benefit of our communities and our nation.“
We’d like to thank all of supporters, donors, and collaborators that help us to achieve our vision, we can’t do this without you. You can read the full annual report here.
We are delighted to announce a new partnership between the Lake District Foundation and The Lost Compass, a new UK based company, supplying 100% eco-friendly and sustainable apparel and clothing.
The Lost Compass is a family business, based in Cheshire, UK and is run by Jade and Jack and was founded in 2018. The Lost Compass aims to provide a clothing brand that is substantially less harmful to the environment; provides a Fairtrade and ethical product lifecycle; transforms the mind-set of clothing consumers towards carbon neutral alternatives and celebrates all that is fantastic about the UK’s countryside.
We are delighted that Jade and Jack have chosen to donate 5% of sales of their organic cotton Scafell and the Herdwick Sheep t-shirts to the Lake District Foundation, it is so exciting to be working with a company that considers the environment in every aspect of their productions and sales.
In addition to their environmental credentials, all of the printing and embroidery is completed in the UK, thus supporting British businesses.
Jade says “We want to be able to give something back to a country that has provided us with so many fond memories. Therefore being able to donate some of our profits to our National Parks, fulfils our ambition to help sustain this beautiful country we call home.
For us at The Lost Compass it is very simple… Explore our World, Sustain our Home and Enjoy Every Minute.”
To read more about their story and to purchase their fantastic products, visit www.thelostcompassltd.co.uk
And if you would like to find out more about supporting the Lake District Foundation in your business, and to read about the impact of donations, take a look here or get in touch.
Thanks to generous donations to the Lake District Foundation, we made grant to the Community Bee Hide Project in Kendal in December 2019. We got in touch with the Bee Team to find out how they are doing and how the Coronavirus Pandemic has impacted their plans.
“As you can imagine, Covid has unfortunately put the lid on many of our community plans for this year. However, the ‘Bee Hide’ is almost finished, only the internals to finish including the installation of an exciting ‘observation’ hive, which will enable our community visitors a view of the bees all year round.
We have installed a ‘Bee Bed’ an accessible raised bed planted up with bee & pollinator friendly plants, along with a large information ID board, we hope to teach children, young people and members of the community about ‘what bees need’ and how they can engage in wildlife by planting for bees & other pollinators. Covid allowing, we will be running this out for community groups next year.
This year, as so many of our youngsters have missed out on their beekeeping, we have run several ‘Bee Summer School’ sessions which have been oversubscribed and a huge success! The children have learnt not just about honeybees and beekeeping, but solitary bees, their habitats, nesting habits and what they can do at home to help provide habitat & forage for them. These sessions really came to life as we have a ‘solitary bee village’ a collection of various nesting boxes for bees, many with observation panels, so the children and visitors can see exactly how these amazing bees create their nests!
Our large plot of wildflowers planted by the children has been a huge success this year, so it is sad we have not had many visitors with Covid restrictions. But the bees and wildlife have loved it and it has been an incredible teaching resource for us.
We rare so grateful for the grant which has enabled us to deliver the apiary & Bee Hide. It has been an amazing project see develop and even with the unprecendented restrictions in place, it is already proving a huge success! Broadening the knowledge, enthusing and developing beekeeping skills of not only our young people, but the many visitors to the apiary.
Thank you so much for your support and sharing our vision for the apiary as a community resource.”
To ensure that more projects like this can continue, please DONATE to the Lake District Foundation, your support really does make a difference.
The Lake District Foundation Fund provides grants to projects that care for the spectacular landscapes, wildlife and cultural heritage of the Lake District and Cumbria.
When you make a donation to the Lake District Foundation you are supporting high-impact evidence-based projects that are of urgent priority.
Funding decisions are made by a grant-making panel. We are open to creative and innovative ideas that have a measurable and sustainable impact. We are particularly keen to support projects that link to our World Heritage Inscription.
Some recently funded projects from the LDF Fund include:
For a full list of recently funded projects take a look here, or to apply for a grant, click here.
As a small charity, we rely on the support of others to help us to achieve our goals, and local photographer James Bell has been doing just that.
James was recently Commended in the Landscape Photographer of the Year 2018 Competition, and for many years, James has donated stunning images for us to use in our promotional materials, helping us to inspire more people to care for this special place. We all know that a picture paints a thousand words and we are so grateful for his support.
James’ book, Capture Lakeland, was launched in 2017 and was a bit of a hit – gaining several accolades and the 1000 limited edition copies sold out.
Fans of his work will be please to know that pre-orders for Capture Lakeland Volume 2 – another limited edition book of his latest Lake District Landscapes – are now available. Each book is signed and numbered and as a special bonus, all those who pre-order can have their name printed in the book as way of thanks AND receive a limited edition signed print too.
PRE-ORDER his book Capture Lakeland Vol 2 today and receive an exclusive limited edition print.
Capture Lakeland Volume 1 accolades:
Shortlisted for Outdoor Book of the Year 2018
Awarded Category Runner Up in the Lakeland Book of the Year 2018 competition.
Awarded Book of the month for April 2018 by BBC Countryfile Magazine.
Awarded Book of the month for April 2018 by Outdoor Photography Magazine.
For more information about James and his work visit:
Online Print Gallery // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube Channel
Are you having a pre-Christmas clear out? Have you found any old five or ten pound notes and are wondering what to do with them?
The Bank of England estimates that around 124 million paper £5 notes and around 122 million paper £10 notes are yet to be returned, despite the paper £5 no longer being accepted in shops since May 2017, and the paper £10 since March this year.
And while you can’t use them in shops, they retain their value for all time, so why not donate them to the Lake District Foundation?
Simply send your old notes either by post to the Lake District Foundation, Murley Moss Business Park, Oxehnholme Road, Kendal, LA9 7RL, or visit us in person , simply come to the reception desk at the visitors entrance to the Lake District National Park Authority Headquarters at the address above, Mon – Fri 9am – 4pm.
Alternatively, you can send your old notes to the Bank of England or exchange them at the bank where you are a current customer.
The Lake District Foundation annual Christmas Lunch at the Stove Restaurant at The Langdale Estate was a great success, and was attended by 30 local business members.
Attendees were treated to a presentation by the Lake District Foundation’s newest ambassador Kate Rawles. Kate presented about the her latest trip to South America on a bamboo bike where she saw the effects of climate change on biodiversity.
They also heard from a recent recipient of a Lake District Foundation grant – The John Muir Trust. Pete Barron talked about the progress at the Lakeland Alpine Arctic Restoration Project, mitigating the impacts of climate change at a local level.
Finally they were treated to a talk by James Forrest, fundraiser at the Lake District Foundation, who this year climbed all 273 mountains in Ireland in 8 weeks!
We would like to wish all our business supporters a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here’s to a fantastic 2019!
You can now spread some festive cheer, save paper, and care for the Lake District too with JustGiving Give Cards.
Simply make a donation to the Lake District Foundation and get an e-card in minutes to share with your family and friends.
How it works:
Thank you and merry Christmas!
From a record-breaking cycle across Europe, to three separate adventures running, sailing and swimming the length of Great Britain, our ambassador Sean Conway is set to reveal more about his escapades to members of the public in the new year.
The Cumbrian-based action man has spent his life taking motivation from conquering seemingly impossible challenges – only to use the success in each escapade as a warm-up for the next item on his ‘to-do’ list.
You could be forgiven for thinking a 4,200-mile triathlon around the coast of Great Britain and cycling to the Alps to save the cost of a plane ticket is how Sean gets his biggest kicks, but there’s more – and it’s not what you might expect.
Sean loves nothing more than to inspire others with his tales of adventure and is holding a special lecture on Saturday January 19 as part of his “Explore from the Door” project with the Coniston-based Coppermines Lakes Cottages company.
“The idea behind ‘Explore from the Door’ is to remind people of the fun they can have so close to home”, Sean explained. “We all had our early adventures near our homes when we were children and I hope my series of blogs inspire people to venture a little bit further out into this beautiful part of the world”.
Tickets available for purchase from Coniston Newsagents, Hidden Treasures Gift Shop, or alternatively email [email protected]. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Lake District Foundation.
“We’ve all got to remember that when we’re outside, we’re in nature’s kingdom, not our own. The Lake District Foundation is very much aimed at visitors and the tourism industry, who can help us to protect that kingdom. The charity’s approach to caring for the lakes is exactly as it should be; come here to visit – and if you like it, donate some money to help care for it. It means the next time you come here, it will still be just as amazing as you remember it.
“It’s great how local businesses like Coppermines Lakes Cottages appreciate the importance of the different projects that the LDF is involved with; and how without the generosity of people giving whatever they can afford, it would be impossible to preserve this place in the way it has been for so many years. Every child remembers their early outdoor experiences with family or friends and I hope they use those to set their own goals in the future, like I’ve done for so many years. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be handing over my world records to them!”
Meanwhile, the team at Coppermines Lakes Cottages is running a competition for four lucky people to win an adventure weekend to coincide with Sean’s talk. The prize includes a three-night stay at Millrace Cottage (from Friday 18 January 2019), four tickets to Sean’s show, an adventure day courtesy of Adventure 21 and four signed copies of Sean’s book collection (Cycling Land’s End to John O’Groats, Hell & High Water, Cycling the Earth and Running Britain). You can enter the competition here.
You can see the full list of Coppermines Lakes Cottages here.
See you there!
Alastair Herd Photography is one of the latest businesses to support the Lake District Foundation (LDF) by raising funds and awareness for this local charity.
The owner and founder, Alastair Herd, says; “Working with the Lake District Foundation is an exciting and promising collaboration. We can’t wait to sell our prints and know that we are doing our bit to help protect and preserve the Lake District, the beautiful world heritage site we call our own. With this collaboration we will also be documenting some of the many fantastic projects that are happening across the Lake District and be able to showcase these projects to the general public.”
After recently graduating from Staffordshire University with a First in BA(Hons) Photography, Alastair has moved back up to his hometown of Carlisle to pursue his passion of photography and technology. In September 2017 Alastair gained the PfCO (Permission of Commercial Operation) that is required by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) to do any commercial Drone work, and has been capturing stunning aerial footage for a wide range of clients.
Alastair has already donated images for the LDF to use in their marketing materials, some were recently used in a photo competition on their stand at Holker Hall Winter Market, where over 100 people took part.
If you would like to see Alastair’s work for yourself, he will be at the Eden Valley Artist Network Event at Rheged on 8th December 2018, and 10% from all sales of Crystal clear plexiglas photo prints on the day will be donated to the LDF Fund. He is also donating 10% of sales of the Plexiglas prints on his website, available to buy here: www.alastairherdphotography.co.uk/shop
Finally the LDF will soon be collaborating with Alastair Herd to produce films that capture the impact of the grants made to local projects – watch this space!
Sarah Swindley, Director of the Lake District Foundation says; “We are delighted to be working with the fantastic local photographer Alastair Herd and we are grateful for his time and energy that will help us to raise our profile and reach new audiences. The funds raised by the sale of his products will be used to support projects that care for outstanding and effective projects that care for the Lake District and Cumbria”.
If you are inspired to support the Lake District Foundation in your business, please get in touch via email [email protected] or call us on 01539 822622.
The Lake District Foundation is delighted to welcome its newest ambassador: Dr Kate Rawles.
Kate is passionate about using adventurous journeys to raise awareness and inspire action on our major environmental challenges. She has recently returned from The Life Cycle: Colombia to Cape Horn by bamboo bike, exploring biodiversity loss.
A former lecturer in environmental philosophy, and in Outdoor Studies at the University of Cumbria in Ambleside, Kate set up Outdoor Philosophy to explore big questions about human/nature relations in nature rather than lecture theatres.
In 2006, she cycled from Texas to Alaska along the spine of the Rockies exploring climate change. Her book about this journey, The Carbon Cycle; Crossing the Great Divide, was shortlisted for the Banff Mountain Festival Adventure Travel Award, 2012. Other ‘adventure plus’ journeys include the Gyre to Gaia ocean plastic pollution sailing voyage with Pangaea Exploration.
Lake District Foundation CEO, Sarah Swindley, says “We are delighted to welcome Kate Rawles as an ambassador for the Lake District Foundation. Her passion for communication and adventures in the great outdoors are a perfect fit for our cause, and we hope that this partnership will inspire many more people to care for our spectacular wildlife and landscapes.”
Kate joins existing ambassador Sean Conway, who has been supporting this charity since it was founded in 2017.
You can find out more about our ambassadors, here.
Cedar Manor is helping us to reach out to international visitors with fundraising material developed in Chinese, Korean and Japanese as well as English for guests staying at the hotel.
Like many other accommodation providers in the Lake District, Cedar Manor is already fundraising for the Lake District Foundation through a scheme that adds a small voluntary donation to bills drawn up for all guests at the hotel. Altogether, 39 accommodation providers in the Lake District contributed £51,033 to the Lake District Foundation in FY2017-18, with nearly 5 per cent or £2,337 of that figure raised by Cedar Manor alone. As of November 2018, this figure is likely to rise, however, with new bespoke room browser material describing the scheme and its benefits to international guests in their native languages.
With international visitor numbers rising steadily, we are dependent on hotels and other service providers in the honeypot areas of Windermere, Grasmere, Bowness and Hawkshead in particular for ways to help visitors continue to enjoy the treasures of this unique destination without diminishing its value for both future visitors and the people who live here. In time, we hope more hotels welcoming international guests will come forward to take advantage of the kind of promotional material we have developed for Cedar Manor. With the funds we receive most recently allocated to projects to protect wildlife, clean up rivers, and champion communities, local businesses are the Lake District’s finest ambassadors, helping domestic and international visitors alike to “give back” to the Lake District, so that the Lake District can keep giving back to them.
Were she alive today, Beatrix Potter – an influential founder and avid supporter of the English conservation movement in her lifetime, as well as the artist who brought us Peter Rabbit – would surely be thrilled to see Peter Rabbit inspiring international as well as domestic visitors to care for the beautiful landscapes, rich wildlife and cultural heritage that inspired his creator.
Released in Japan in May this year, Peter Rabbit (Sony Entertainment 2018) made 1-1.1 billion yen in ticket sales and ranked second place in the first weekend box office rankings – the film’s popularity testimony to Peter’s enduring fascination for the Japanese public. As audiences in Japan recover from Peter’s latest charm offensive, the Lake District Foundation and more than 10 Japanese tour operators are celebrating eight years of success for the Japan Visitor Giving Scheme. Set up in 2010, the Scheme supports conservation projects in the Lake District by raising funds through the support of tour operators bringing Japanese tourists to the region.
The fundraising mechanism is simple: visitors who book a tour to the Lake District with tour operators participating in the Scheme are invited to make a £5 (approx. 700 yen at current rates) donation to the Lake District Foundation. Donors receive an original Peter Rabbit pin-badge as a thank you for the donation, and the rest of the funds are distributed to chosen projects in the Lake District. These have included restorative work at Wray Castle – one of many childhood summer homes for the Potter family when Beatrix was a young girl – and an important off-road path which helps visitors of every nationality, Japanese included, to travel on foot and by bicycle, safely and sustainably, to Hill Top Farm – a 17th century stone farmhouse bought by Beatrix Potter in 1905, and the place where she wrote many of the “little picture books” for which she is known.
The scheme has raised £116,125 (approx. 16,778,000 yen at current rates) to date, thanks to the generosity of Japanese donors and the support of the participating tour companies, which include Miki Tourist, JTB World Vacations Inc., Hanshin Friend Tour and the Global Youth Bureau. Lake District Foundation Director Sarah Swindley says: “We know that the Japanese public love the Lake District and we are delighted and grateful that they are helping us to care for the landscapes, wildlife and cultural heritage that inspired Beatrix Potter, for all to enjoy.” This love stems in part from Peter’s popularity with generations of Japanese schoolchildren, as well as the fact that Beatrix Potter’s stories are easy to read, rooted in nature, kawaii (cute), and quintessentially English.
Japanese and Chinese visitors comprise a large part of the some 2.6 million overseas visitors flocking to the Lake District each year (Cumbria Tourism, estimated figures for 2016) – female Japanese visitors in particular visiting the area to soak up the Peter Rabbit ambience as well as see other attractions like Dove Cottage in Grasmere, once the home of William Wordsworth. Were she alive today, Potter – an influential founder and avid supporter of the English conservation movement in her lifetime, as well as a shrewd creator and marketer of Peter Rabbit goods – would surely be delighted to see Hill Top Farm a top visitor attraction and Peter Rabbit fostering a love not only for cuddly toys, stationery, plates, keyrings and other souvenirs featuring his image, but an enduring love for and support of the green fields, fells and valleys in which Peter and his siblings would have played.
As the film shows, Peter Rabbit had many friends who were imagined and created by Ms Potter: Mrs Tiggy-winkle, a hedgehog, and a pig called Pigling Bland among them. Absent from the cast is a particular young red squirrel called Squirrel Nutkin – beloved by generations of British schoolchildren for his antics on Derwentwater, where he paddled out by raft to St. Herbert’s Island (Owl Island in the tale) with other squirrels, spreading out their red bushy tails as sails. Red squirrels are a small native woodland mammal, found mainly in wooded areas in the north of England, western Wales and parts of Scotland, threatened with extinction for decades owing to competition from the invasive non-native American grey squirrel introduced to the Britain in the 1870s. Greys out-compete red squirrels for food in deciduous and mixed woodlands and transmit a virus that is lethal to red squirrels. Today, there are estimated to be only 140,000 red squirrels left in Britain, with over 2.5 million greys. Little surprise, then, if few British children will have ever seen a red squirrel outside of picture-books, television or wildlife centres.
There is hope for the red squirrel, however, thanks to the efforts of local and regional conservation groups working hard to control grey squirrels and support reds in their natural habitat. Red squirrel numbers are rebounding in the Lake District and Cumbria, and these shy creatures can now be found in woods on the banks of Derwentwater again, presumably contemplating their next big adventure to Owl Island. The Lake District Foundation recently made a grant of £6,067 to local red squirrel conservation groups, which will be used to support conservation rangers, red squirrel feeding stations and monitoring surveys that help to inform future conservation work.
To help us care for the breath-taking landscapes that are home to Peter and his friends with a donation please visit www.justgiving.com/lakedistrictfoundation or contact Tracey Gannon, our International Partnerships Coordinator by email at [email protected] or phone +44-1539-822622.
The Lake District Foundation has revealed the first five projects set to receive funding from its grant fund, sharing out £16,000 between five projects from across Cumbria.
Funds had been raised through local businesses asking their guests for donations when they pay their bill, while further money was also raised by visitors, residents and others who love the Lake District by donating online, by text or through traditional donation boxes.
In total, we received 35 applications, and had the difficult task of choosing the projects which could benefit from the money available. The chosen projects were awarded funding based on criteria including the impact, links to World Heritage Site status, community involvement, and partnership working.
We are delighted to announce funding for the following projects:
| Project | Organisation |
| Adopt a beck – Dash beck | West Cumbria Rivers Trust |
| Making it Count for Wildlife | Cumbria Local Nature Partnership (CLNP) |
| Haweswater Woodland Planting | Royal Society for the Protection of Birds |
| Lakeland Arctic-Alpine Vegetation Restoration Project | John Muir Trust |
| Community Heritage | Action for Communities in Cumbria |
Details of the first five projects to be chosen are as follows:
Sarah Swindley, Director of the Lake District Foundation says: “We are delighted to be able to award funds to these fantastic local projects. We are so grateful to the generous visitors and residents who love the Lake District and have made a donation. We look forward to seeing this projects progress and deliver positive impact for Cumbria.”
Hot off the press….
Earlier this month, we launched a massive crowdfunding campaign , with the aim of raising £17,000 to fix the well-trodden footpaths of Scafell Pike. The campaign has raised £5,000 so far and now with just over 2 weeks to go, we are pleased to announce three fantastic new rewards.
To make your donation and claim your reward visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/mend-the-lakes
Rewards are limited and will be awarded on a first come first served basis so the sooner you donate the better!
Japanese Tour Operators have collectively raised £18,975 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:
Here are some pictures of our participating businesses celebrating another successful year!
