Arran benefits from £1.3m lottery support
Players have helped National Trust for Scotland properties and places
Support for Scotland’s natural and built heritage from players of the People’s Postcode Lottery has exceeded £1.3 million, according to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS).
The news came at the lottery’s 2021 annual gala, where it announced another £425,000 to help the NTS protect Scotland’s treasures and continue its vital conservation work, despite the challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic.
Cumulatively, since 2014, the total support received from players of People’s Postcode Lottery is £1,398,695.
In that time, the funding has been put to good use at NTS properties across the country including in Glen Rosa on Arran, where support has meant 40,000 trees have been planted to reforest the area.
At Culzean Castle in Ayrshire, it has enabled the creation of the estate’s popular play areas – Adventure Cove and Wild Woodland – and at the Hill House, Helensburgh, the funding made it possible to repair stained glass windows at the historic house.
There is also a new gallery space at Drum Castle, Aberdeenshire, and at Inverewe in the north west, the funding meant the charity could purchase machinery that helped to catalogue all the thousands of plants that thrive there.
In 2020, support from players of the People’s Postcode Lottery went to the trust’s Project Wipeout, an ambitious task aimed at eradicating non-native invasive plants from a number of trust places across the country.
Since August last year, Project Wipeout has cleared more than 40 hectares of the most destructive plants including Rhododendron ponticum, Japanese knotweed and American skunk cabbage at eight sites across Scotland, including Brodick Castle and Gardens.
Commitment
National Trust for Scotland chief executive Philip Long OBE said: ‘We cannot thank the players of People’s Postcode Lottery enough for their longstanding commitment to and support of our charity’s conservation work. ‘Over the past seven years, so many important projects have only been possible because of these funds.
‘With this help, work like Wipeout, which is making a real difference to Scotland’s environment, has been able to continue over the past year. Thank you for helping to protect Scotland’s heritage, now and for future generations.’
Will Humpington, climate change and environment advisor at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: ‘We are delighted players of People’s Postcode Lottery are continuing to support Project Wipeout and helping to eradicate non-native invasive species which are so damaging to Scotland’s wildlife.
‘It’s great to celebrate the support of players for National Trust for Scotland projects over the past seven years and their positive impact for Scotland’s heritage.’