Member Article

Return to old play, thanks to charity lottery

Northumberland Wildlife Trust has just received a staggering £200,000 from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, taking the total received from its players to a whopping £894,940.

So what better way to celebrate than with a wet and messy day at the wildlife charity’s East Chevington nature reserve on Druridge Bay?

Armed with pump action water pistols and mud bombs, staff from the People & Wildlife Team joined forces with RAF Boulmer’s Airplay Youth Support Project and helped bring out the inner ‘wild child’ in over 20 children.

With activities ranging from den building, rope making and camp fire cooking to a full-blown water fight, the youngsters had a great time partaking in good old-fashioned play in the great outdoors.

Commenting on the £200,000 funding, Mike Pratt, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Chief Executive said: “Our Patron, TV presenter Chris Packham says that the rarest thing you will see in the countryside these days is a child, so what better way to celebrate such a great funding boost than with water pistols and mud bombs - things which were part of my childhood, but sadly a thing of the past.

“Wildlife cannot stand up for itself, so it’s vital we harness the enthusiasm of today’s youngsters as they are the conservationists of tomorrow - without support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, this would be very difficult for us to do.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sue Bishop .