We're delighted to announce that we're in the running for a national award in recognition of our #GetCumbriaBuzzing animation. The Charity Film Awards have selected our short film which is designed to raise awareness of the serious decline in the numbers of bees and other pollinating insects, and to inspire people to take positive action to create wildflower-rich habitats.

Tanya St.Pierre, Project Manager of Get Cumbria Buzzing, said: “We’re delighted to be in the running for this national film award! We’re working with partners to create 115 hectares of wildflower-rich habitat in Cumbria to help boost pollinators. The hope is the film will help to spread the word and encourage everyone to grow pollinator-friendly plants in their own backyard, garden and window boxes. The Charity Film Awards are a great opportunity to bring a national spotlight to a Cumbrian project. We would be delighted if people could please get behind us and vote for the film.”

The Charity Film Awards champion effective story-telling and digital engagement among not-for-profits in the UK. Simon Burton, founder of the Charity Film Awards, commented: “All the charities that have entered deserve to be congratulated, but they need more than thanks, they need votes! It’s simple for the public to vote for their favourite charity film and many voters also go onto donate. Nearly 10% of those who voted last year also made a donation.”

Voting closes on 1 December – but please don’t leave it until the last minute, VOTE NOW!

Get Cumbria Buzzing is a ground-breaking, three-year project which aims to get parks, school grounds and other green spaces around north and west Cumbria buzzing with bees and pollinators. Cumbria Local Nature Partnership is working with Highways England and Cumbria Wildlife Trust to get local people buzzing with activity to boost numbers of bumblebees and other wild pollinators and halt their decline. Cumbria Local Nature Partnership and  Cumbria Wildlife Trust are bringing together a wealth of experience including Allerdale Borough Council, Buglife, Butterfly Conservation, Copeland Borough Council, Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre, Florence Arts Centre, Highways England, National Trust, Solway AONB and Workington Nature Partnership.

This £1.6 million project is made possible by National Lottery Players and support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Highways England, Cumbria Waste Management Environment Trust, Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, Tesco, Allerdale Borough Council and Solway Coast AONB.

Administered by Cumbria Community Foundation, the following organisations are also funding the project: Fairfield Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund, Robin Rigg West Cumbria Fund, Winscales Moor Community Benefit Fund and United Utilities Legacy Fund.

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk 

Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

Since The National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised over £43 billion for projects and more than 635,000 grants have been awarded across the UK.