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Vital Uplands
Read our report on the Vital Uplands Visitor Payback Pilot Scheme at Bassenthwaite Lake
What's it all about?
The 'Natural England Vital Uplands Project' is a nationwide plan creating a vision for the sustainable management of the uplands over the next fifty years. It's wide reaching remit to ensure the sustainable production of food, wood and other raw materials, reduce climate change, create a resilient upland ecosystem and vibrant upland communities, clean water supplies, reduce 'natural' hazards such as flooding and improve health benefits.
The Pilot (2010)
Three pilot projects in The Lake District, Dartmoor and Yorkshire assessed how this vision can be made to work on the ground. Read the report above to see the results.
What are we doing?
Nurture Lakeland was selected by Natural England to help test whether the scope of the project could be funded and realised through visitor donation schemes.
We recruited 35 businesses during the pilot, from accommodation providers & retailers to visitor attractions within the Bassenthwaite area who raised funds for three projects designed to tie in with three key elements of the uplands; woodlands, mountains and water.
The 'Lake District Osprey Project', 'Fix The Fells' and 'Love your Lakes' will all receive money raised from the pilot project.
Vital Uplands 2 (VU2 - 2011/12)
Natural England has asked us to do some follow up work to build on the successes of the pilot project.
This year businesses can raise money for a new project; the Woodland Fund, which will support woodland creation in the Bass. lake catchment area, and can get themselves Love Your Lakes Approved. This marks them out to their customers as using only phosphate free products.
Each year a different woodland site will be chosen for support by the Woodland Fund. This year (2012) it is Coledale Beck , just west of Keswick. The Woodland Fund is always looking for more fundraisers, so please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like to support it.
How are the businesses getting involved?
The businesses involved are using a range of fundraising methods. Collection boxes, sponsorship of in-store products by retailers and the implementation of visitor pay-back schemes.
