With over three-quarters of Northern Irish people worried about the impact nature loss will have on their lives, a new fund has been launched to help “bring nature back to life”.
RSPB and WWF have joined forces with Aviva to create the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund.
It will provide £2 for every £1 raised by community groups planning projects to restore nature in their areas.
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That includes everything from creating community gardens to projects to protect wildlife.
The Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund is calling for applications from groups in low-income areas across Northern Ireland and GB that will support and restore nature in their communities.
Sara McCracken, Head of Fundraising and Communications for RSPB Northern Ireland, said: “Community groups and volunteers are already doing incredible work across the UK to protect and restore our wildlife, and we’re constantly amazed and inspired by the stories of how people are making a difference.
“Whether it’s engaging with children to make schools wildlife-friendly, taking part in citizen science projects, carrying migrating toads across busy roads or planting whole orchards. Every effort counts.
“We can’t wait to see how this fund helps create ripples of action throughout the UK. For although nature is in crisis, together we can save it.”
Nature is our life support system. It is beneficial to health, wellbeing and is vital in the fight against climate change. But it has been pushed to the brink by human activities over the past two centuries.
In the last 50 years alone, 38 million birds have vanished from UK skies and 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s, making the UK one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.
Kate Norgrove, Executive Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at WWF, said: “We know that the devastating nature loss witnessed across the UK is something the public is worried about, but we also know what needs to be done to turn things around.
“Communities, by harnessing the power of working together, are playing an important role in protecting and restoring nature.
“We’re excited to be working with the RSPB and Aviva to further help local groups to take action, and we can’t wait to see the results.”
A YouGov poll commissioned for the Save Our Wild Isles campaign revealed almost three-quarters (70%) of NI people are worried about the state of nature.
Most surveyed see nature as a crucial lifeline and an essential part of daily life and over three-quarters (76%) of respondents in Northern Ireland worry about the impact nature loss will have on their life.
Claudine Blamey, Aviva’s Group Sustainability Director, said our “natural habitat is heavily depleted and it’s time to change that”.
“The Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund can play a crucial role to put the power back in the hands of local communities.
“Working with WWF and the RSPB to restore nature is a vital part of Aviva’s goal to make Great Britain and Northern Ireland the world’s most climate-ready large economy, so we are really proud to launch the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund today.”
The Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund will give £2 for every £1 raised for each project.
The matching applies to each individual donation up to £250 and with a total match available of £5,000 per community project.
Community groups focused on taking action for nature can apply at https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/save-our-wild-isles
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