Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore has welcomed the news that local charity Aire Rivers Trust has been awarded £69,300 for its project Middle Aire Habitat Enhancement from the Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund. This project will engage new, underrepresented audiences in conservation activity that will improve biodiversity across two sites in Shipley and Keighley, and will deliver nature-based solutions to mitigate the impact of flooding in Shipley.
The £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund is kick-starting a pipeline of nature-based projects to restore nature, tackle climate change and connect people with the natural environment. Funding is being distributed on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Round 1 of the fund opened on 14 September 2020 and grants have now been awarded, providing investment quickly to help create and retain jobs in the nature sector when most needed in the wake of the pandemic.
Following the success of the first round, the Government has confirmed that it will double the size of the fund by making an additional £40 million investment. Round 2 will be launched in early 2021.
Commenting Robbie Moore said: “It is great to see that local charities like the Aire Rivers Trust are being recognised for the work that they do to promote the River Aire and their work to restore nature. It is important that we provide the right support to charities like this who are promoting biodiversity and using our natural surroundings in the fight against climate change. This is a key part of the Prime Ministers ten-point plan to kick-start nature recovery and tackle climate change so we can build back greener following Coronavirus.”
