Since the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown began Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust has been worked tirelessly to ensure that essential activities continue to happen and that nature reserves remain open for people to visit. One unexpected consequence of the lockdown was the appearance of a pair of cranes at Willow Tree Fen nature reserve. The pair successfully reared a chick – the first to be born in Lincolnshire for 400 years.

Paul Learoyd, Chief Executive at the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust said: “Thanks to the National Lottery and its players we can fund changes to the visitor infrastructure at Willow Tree Fen to help ensure that the cranes are not disturbed when they hopefully return next year. The funding will also help us invest in the Trust’s IT systems, making them more resilient."

The funding, made possible by National Lottery players, was awarded through The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Emergency Fund. £50million was made available to provide emergency funding for those most in need across the heritage sector.

The UK-wide fund aimed to address both immediate emergency actions and help organisations to start thinking about recovery.

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Heritage has an essential role to play in making communities better places to live, supporting economic regeneration and benefiting our personal wellbeing. All of these things are going to be even more important as we emerge from this current crisis.

“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we are pleased to be able to lend our support to organisations such as Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust during this uncertain time.”

Like Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, other charities and organisations across the UK that have been affected by the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus outbreak are being given access to a comprehensive package of support of up to £600 million of repurposed money from The National Lottery. This money is supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and span the arts, community, charity, heritage, education, environment and sports sectors.

Thanks to National Lottery players, £30 million is raised every week for good causes, including heritage of local and national importance. By playing The National Lottery, people up and down the country are making an amazing contribution to the nationwide-response to combatting the impact of COVID-19 on local communities across the UK.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Emergency Fund is now closed for applications. To find out more about how The National Heritage Emergency Fund is supporting the sector at this time please visit: https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/responding-coronavirus-covid-19

To find out more about the National Lottery Good Causes, visit: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/coronavirus-pandemic-response