Wildlife Trust launches £1 Christmas appeal to restore local habitats

Tuesday, 2 December 2025 18:12

By David Murphy

Lancashire Wildlife Trust has launched a festive appeal encouraging residents to donate just £1 to help protect wild spaces and struggling species across the region.

The ‘£1 at Christmas’ campaign aims to raise funds for vital conservation projects amid what the Trust describes as a mounting crisis for nature in the North West. With one in six UK species now at risk of extinction, the Trust says even the smallest contributions could have a lasting impact on the local environment.

The initiative comes at a time of growing concern over habitat loss, pollution and declining biodiversity. Many species once common across Lancashire’s woodlands, wetlands and meadows are now in sharp decline as natural areas shrink and become more fragmented.

Senior Communications Officer Lydia German said the campaign is a chance for communities to come together and take positive action.

“Across our nature reserves, we see the consequences of decisions made long before any of us were here,” she said. “Wetlands drained for industry, woodlands carved apart, and wildlife pushed further into the margins.

“When nature suffers a loss, so do we. But this moment is also full of opportunity. We can choose differently, to repair, restore and rewild.”

Donations will go towards practical restoration work across the Trust’s sites. Projects include hedgerow planting, repairing bird and bat boxes, improving paths to protect fragile habitats, and maintaining spaces where threatened wildlife can thrive.

The campaign also highlights the extra strain faced by animals in winter. “As temperatures drop, wildlife has to burn more energy to stay warm,” Lydia added. “At the same time, food becomes harder to find and shorter daylight hours leave less time to forage.”

With many households under financial pressure, the Trust emphasised that a donation of just £1 can still help, or people can support the appeal by sharing it online.

To take part or find out more, visit https://www.lancswt.org.uk