Cumbria Wildlife Trust has been chosen to take part in this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge (3-10 December), the UK’s largest match funding campaign for charities. This means that any online donations via the Big Give during this week will be doubled, so for every £10 donated, the charity will receive £20.
Michelle Waller, Senior Development Officer at Cumbria Wildlife Trust explains: “During the Big Give Christmas Challenge we will be raising money to help young people have a future in conservation. It can be hard for youngsters to know where to start with a career in this field. We have the skills and knowledge to train them up on the job. In the time they spend with us, they do an enormous amount to help wildlife conservation, from restoring habitats and surveying species to running activities for kids, giving talks and leading wildlife walks for the public. They go on to spend an entire career protecting wildlife – just one of the reasons we are committed to supporting them.”
A current conservation apprentice at the Trust, Melanie Shears, says: “Without this apprenticeship I wouldn’t have been able to gain such a broad range of valuable experiences. I’ve surveyed grey seals and red squirrels; planted trees and hedges; learned skills for identifying plants and animals; given public talks and helped run campaigns – and much more!”
During the Big Give Christmas Challenge, donations to help Cumbria Wildlife Trust train future conservationists can be given online via the Big Give website and they will be matched, giving donors the chance to double the impact of their donation. The Challenge runs from 12 noon on 3 December and closes at 12 noon on 10 December. To donate to Cumbria Wildlife Trust go to: wtru.st/Big-Give