Gareth has welcomed a £3,860,200 grant to The Woodland Trust, based in Grantham. The money will be used for the charity’s ancient woods and trees project which will conserve and restore 63 ancient woodland landscapes across England. The funding will also create new jobs locally and sustain 57 roles in forestry.
The funding comes from the Government’s £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund which is kick-starting a pipeline of nature-based projects to restore nature, tackle climate change and connect people with the natural environment.
The first round of Green Recovery Challenge Fund opened on the 14th of September, providing £40 million of investment. The first round was a great success and was oversubscribed with charities asking for over 6 times the amount of funding made available. The funding from the first round will
- Fund 68 projects planting over 800,000 trees and creating over 300 hectares of woodlands
- Restore damaged habitats such as moorlands, wetlands and forests.
- Support conservation work and help to improve education about the environment.
- Create thousands of new jobs across the country, including new jobs in Grantham.
Following the success of the first round, the Government has confirmed that it will double the size of the fund by making an additional £40 million investment. Round 2 will be launched in early 2021.
Gareth Davies has previously met The Woodland Trust and highlighted their important work in the local press. With regards to the new funding for The Woodland Trust, Gareth Davies MP said
“Britain’s ancient woodland is essential as a place of natural beauty, as a place for leisure activities and as a tool against climate change. However, only 13% of the UK is currently forested putting us below most of our European neighbours. That is why I am very pleased that the National Trust is getting nearly £4 million to plant more trees and rejuvenate our forests.
The Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund will not only help conserve our environment, but it is providing new jobs for young people across the country and in Grantham making it a vital part of the Government’s plan to level up and build back better from coronavirus”
