This April, we had a fantastic opportunity to raise funds for our conservation work. By participating in the Big Give Earth Raise campaign, we could double donations by unlocking match funding, giving every pound twice the impact. We initially hoped to raise £10,000 for equipment that would aid our Conservation Officers in their practical and advisory work:
- Laser levels for designing river restoration projects
- Electric chainsaws for creating wildlife habitat
- Drones for aerial river surveys and monitoring
- Tablets and software for recording data to inform our projects
- Training to use this equipment safely and effectively
In an incredible surge of support, many wonderful donors brought us to our target in three days — just halfway through the campaign. Then more good news: because of the brilliant response we received, the Big Give decided to increase our match funding. This gave us a new target of £20,000, with donations continuing to be doubled; a fantastic opportunity to make every gift go further.
Once again, our supporters answered our call, taking us over the target with time to spare. In total, we raised £22,188.50 including Gift Aid and match funding. This will not only help our Conservation Officers to deliver even more impactful projects, but it will also enable us to raise awareness about our precious rivers, their wonderful wildlife, and the pressures both are under.
We’re absolutely blown away by this generosity, and our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who helped us to raise these crucial funds, especially our 100 amazing donors and our match funders PlanAid and the Big Give. Your kindness makes our work possible.
