A Dumfriesshire crowdfunding appeal has surged towards its target helped by a £20,000 donation from the charity Rewilding Britain.
Phase two of the community buy-out of Buccleuch-owned land at Langholm Moor was launched at the end of October with a mission to raise £2.2 million.
It is hoped that up to £150,000 can be raised through the crowdfunder on Go Fund Me at bit.ly/LangholmMoorAppeal.
More than a thousand supporters from the UK and across the globe have made donations, taking the appeal total to more than £105,000 in less than four months. The first phase of the buyout saw £3.8 million raised in 2020 for 5,200 acres of land and six residential properties. The transfer was completed a year ago next month and the establishment of the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve is under way.
The Langholm Initiative, a community development trust, hopes to double the size of the reserve by purchasing a further 5,300 acres and three residential properties from Buccleuch.
But the clock is ticking to raise all necessary funds before the land is put on the open market after the May 31 deadline.
Jenny Barlow, Tarras Valley Nature Reserve’s estate manager, told the Standard they are “delighted” with the support from the community, public and Rewilding Britain.
She said: “Thanks to the donation from Rewilding Britain and the amazing support and generosity of so many people from across the UK and the world, we’ve taken our impossible dream another step closer to reality.
“But, we have a long way to go if we are to safeguard this land for future generations by bringing it into community ownership.”
She fears that if they miss the deadline and the land goes on the open market, its price will probably rise beyond the community’s reach.
However, if they raise the money on time, they would boost plans for community regeneration, including nature-based tourism opportunities.
Rebecca Wrigley, Rewilding Britain’s chief executive, said: “The people of Langholm are showing how community-led nature recovery projects can make a real difference for people, nature and climate and this hugely important project deserves all the support it can get. There is a unique opportunity here to bring this culturally important land into community ownership.
