First projects receive funding through new Peak District National Park Foundation

First projects receive funding through new Peak District National Park Foundation - Peak District National Park Authority

Bradwell Community Hydro leaders Richard Patton, Mike Joseph and Andy Nash (Tom Marshall)

Wildlife, hedgerow conservation and hydro electricity projects are the first to benefit from funds through the new Peak District National Park Foundation.

Grants have been awarded through the Foundation’s #70kfor70 campaign, which launched during National Parks Week in April.

The Fairer for Nature gardening project in Fairfield, Buxton has been awarded £2,043. It aims to get young people excited about wildlife by encouraging them to improve their own - and other peoples’ - gardens as wildlife habitats.
Pinder’s Meadow charity in Hope has received £671 towards the costs of planting 300 mixed hedging plants to restore and enhance hedgerow and to provide nesting sites and food sources for birds.

Meanwhile, Bradwell Hydro Project has been granted £800, helping it to refurbish, upgrade and extend its water-powered Christmas lights. The project works in conjunction with Bradwell Junior School, teaching children about renewable energy and sustainable power sources.

The South West Peak Landscape Partnership has also received a grant of £2,500 from a generous donor, via the Foundation, to support the Elkstonian Society’s project to upgrade their village website and digitise archive material about the history of village life.

Jen Lowthrop, chair of the Peak District National Park Foundation, said: “We’re thrilled to be awarding our first grants to fantastic projects which care for our National Park and inspire the next generation to connect with nature. We believe the Peak District National Park should be a vibrant, colourful and safe home for the wildlife we all love. Our right to enjoy the National Park was hard won by ordinary folk. So we want to support projects to make it more accessible, for everyone to enjoy. But it is also unique and very fragile; we must always strive to keep it special. We’ve had a fantastic response to our #70kfor70 campaign from supporters who share this ambition. These projects are the first of many we want to fund and, with the love that exists for the Peak District, we’re looking forward to funding many more.”