Welsh TV presenter's call of the wild

28 Jul 2010

TV celebrity Iolo Williams is encouraging more groups from Wales to apply to a £2 million funding programme aimed at getting more people to enjoy and protect wildlife in their local area.

Iolo, renowned for presenting nature programmes on BBC Wales and S4C, is encouraging communities across Wales to discover wildlife on their doorstep by applying for money from the Big Lottery Fund.

Up to £2 million of good cause cash is available for improving the environment by protecting and creating wildlife habitats for everyone to enjoy.

BIG’s Community Wildlife funding programme is offering grants of between £300 and £10,000 to projects that bring communities together to improve or protect the natural environment by raising awareness of threatened wildlife or places.

The Welsh TV presenter, whose programmes include Iolo's Wild Times, said: "This funding can have a real impact on improving local rural and urban environments across Wales through the protection of habitats and threatened wildlife. Apply today and get you whole community involved to help save our wildlife for future generations."

From bird, bat or badger watching, to creating nature trails, woodland walks and wildlife gardens, Community Wildlife will award grants to voluntary or community sector organisations, town and parish councils, schools and health bodies committed to bringing people together to learn about nature.

Projects that encourage people to get more active and healthier through exploring parks, rivers and the countryside to look for rare or endangered species, or that get people gardening or on nature walks, and those that encourage children to learn about nature through play could all benefit.

Sir Clive Booth, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund, said: "Community Wildlife is all about supporting projects that get people of all ages and backgrounds working together to improve and protect their local wildlife."

Declared International Year of Biodiveristy by the UN, 2010 is the time for communities everywhere to think about their natural environment. Natural England’s Lost Life* report shows that England has lost 492 species since 1800, including 24 per cent of butterflies and 22 per cent of amphibians, demonstrating the need for everyone to look after wildlife.

Application forms can be downloaded at http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/communitywildlife

Alternatively, call 0845 367 0610, or textphone 0845 602 1659. There are two remaining deadlines for applications: 22 September and 24 November 2010.