Grants are available for organisations, businesses and schools to plant and maintain, celebrate and study, hedgerows in Cumbria.

The Lake District Foundation has a pot of £5,000 on offer, as part of an ongoing project called the ‘Real Hedge Fund’.

Since the project was founded in 2020, over £28,000 has been awarded, equating to almost 1,000 metres of hedgerows planted.

Sarah Smith, Head of Impact at the Lake District Foundation said: “In the UK, nearly 6,000 metres of hedgerow is uprooted ever year, with less than 1,200 miles replanted.

"While tree planting has gained a lot of attention in recent years, the power of the humble hedgerow is too often overlooked.

"Hedges not only provide homes for small mammals and birds, but they can also help to reduce the negative impacts of both draught and flooding, as well as reducing field run-off, stopping pollution from entering our lakes and waterways.

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The charity is seeking applicants who have space to install at least 50m of hedgerow on their land and who will take a long-term approach to caring for their new plants. 

Applications are open until Wednesday, July 3