Kitchenware store Lakeland is donating £20,000 to Cumbria Wildlife Trust to support an environmental project in Cumbria, close to its flagship store in Windermere.

We'll use the donation to restore hay meadows in central and south Cumbria. Lakeland staff will be offered the chance to help out on these meadows, with activities such as plug-planting wild flowers. 

Michelle Waller, Donor and Partnerships Manager at Cumbria Wildlife Trust, said: “We’re very grateful to Lakeland for this fantastic donation and delighted to be working in partnership with them, to help restore our lost Cumbrian hay meadows. We estimate that their donation will restore eight acres of meadow.

“Meadows really matter! In the UK, 97% of flower-rich hay meadows have been lost between the 1930s and the mid-1980s, but they were once common throughout Cumbria. They change dramatically through the season in their appearance and evoke a romantic notion of farming in harmony with the environment. Sadly, many of these images only exist as memories, as hay meadows have suffered a catastrophic decline.

“Hay meadows are important for the plants they support. A hay meadow can support an incredible 50 plant species per square metre! Such a wealth of plant species can in turn provide habitats for many different animal species including the brown hare, insects such as the great yellow bumble bee, and birds such as skylark, curlew, lapwing and twite. If we want to see such wonderful plants and animals thrive, we must restore and look after these precious habitats.”

Bethany Stebbens from Lakeland said: “We are so happy to say we are able to help with this amazing initiative, which can help future-proof Cumbrian hay meadows to enrich wildlife and protect nature. As one of the UK's home shopping pioneers, with over 50 years of experience under our belts, Lakeland offers an unrivalled collection of creative kitchenware, practical time and effort saving ideas for the home, and inspiring gifts from all over the world. Founded in the 1960s, Lakeland is still family-owned and also, Cumbria-based. With our head office, flagship store, contact centre and warehouse all being in Cumbria, we know what the local area means to so many of our colleagues and is a large part of our heritage.”

Our goal is to achieve 30% of land protected for nature by 2030. This is the minimum needed to put nature into recovery, nationally as well as locally.

We've been restoring meadows and flower-rich grasslands in Cumbria for the last decade, but there is still much to do. We restore between 50 and 80 hectares annually, working with farmers, communities and partner organisations, using traditional practices. Hay meadow restoration is an important part of achieving our longer-term goal for nature’s recovery.

If you would like to discuss how your company could work in partnership with us to protect our county’s special wildlife and wild places, please contact Michelle at Business@cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk