The Flood Hub

West Cumbria River’s Trust have announced that they have been awarded £380,000 by the Government’s new Green Recovery Challenge Fund to extend their existing Glenderamackin and Cocker catchment restoration and natural flood management projects. As a result of the additional funding, West Cumbria Rivers Trust can make more changes on the ground and achieve even greater benefits for both people and wildlife. The funding will be used to:

• plant nine hectares of new woodland, over three kilometres of new or restored hedgerows, and 400 in-field trees;
• create new ponds, wetlands and scrapes and 180 woody debris installations;
• deliver seasonal volunteer events and school events;
• undertake our fish survey programme, monitoring juvenile Atlantic salmon and brown trout across the Derwent catchment;
• develop a legacy plan to build on the Derwent catchment work, and;
• employ a new graduate trainee to help with the work

‘Restoring the Derwent Catchment’ is one of the first environmental projects awarded a grant from the £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund. 68 nature-based projects across England have been awarded funding to kick-start them and create and retain environmental sector jobs. The projects will see trees planted (800,000 in total) and protected landscapes and damaged habitats such as moorlands, wetlands and forests restored, alongside wider conservation work.

The Green Recovery Challenge Fund is being delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.

West Cumbria Rivers trust will continue to work with a wide range of partners (the Environment Agency, Cumbria County Council, Natural England, the National Trust, United Utilities, the Woodland Trust, Farmer Network, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Friends of the Lake District, Derwent Owners Association, Cumbria Woodlands and local community groups) in the Glenderamackin and Cocker catchments.

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