Development funding of £68,600 has also been awarded to help Yorkshire Wildlife Trust progress their plans to apply for a full grant at a later date.

The project will reveal the historic heritage of the National Nature Reserve and its close links to the Spurn, Kilnsea and Easington community.  A new Heritage Officer will be appointed this year for a 9 month period, who will set up workshops open to the public.  These will explore the sensitivity and richness of Spurn’s habitats and history, in the context of rising sea levels and a warming climate, and will show how the UK plans to mitigate the effects of climate change, with the help of renewable energy and the replacement of coal by natural gas, two very important local industries.

The lighthouse at Spurn dates from 1895, and ceased operations in 1985.  It has only been open to the public once or twice a year, and the plan is to set up innovative video installations to bring Spurn and its communities alive.  The Point has a fascinating maritime and military history, which links to the very special wildlife and geological features of the National Nature Reserve.

Martin Batt, Nature Tourism Manager at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted at the news of this support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.  We’ll be running a series of workshops on local, maritime, and military history, bird migration, and climate change later this year and in 2013.  This is a great opportunity for Spurn and we are keen for the local community to be actively involved and feel part of the developments. We hope ‘Spurn’s Communities Along the Sand’ will bring income and employment to this part of the Yorkshire Nature Triangle”.

Explaining the importance of the award, Fiona Spiers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for Yorkshire and the Humber said:  “We are pleased to give our initial support to this project which aims to conserve and interpret the wonderful biodiversity and habitats of the Spurn National Nature Reserve. While there is much work to be done, we look forward to receiving a full application from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust in the future.”

Notes to editors

• The Trust has worked for 65 years to protect wildlife of all types, and the places where they live. It manages and protects 95 of the best and most important nature reserves in both rural and urban Yorkshire
• The Trust works to protect and save threatened species, such as otter and water vole, while inspiring people, helping people of all ages understand and enjoy their natural environment, and encouraging communities to protect wildlife in their local area
• Advising landowners on how to manage their land for wildlife, from large companies and local authorities to farmers and individuals, is a large part of the Trust’s work, as is influencing planning decisions and campaigning for better protection for wildlife
• The Trust is the only conservation organisation working exclusively in Yorkshire and is currently one of the fastest-growing charities in the UK. Increased membership allows the Trust to remain as the trust for Yorkshire’s Residents, acting locally and influencing regionally.

The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) www.wildlifetrusts.org
• There are 47 Wildlife Trusts across the whole of the UK, the Isle of Man and Alderney. We are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone.  With 765,000 members, we are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK’s habitats and species, whether they be in the countryside, in cities or at sea
• 135,000 of our members belong to our junior branch, Wildlife Watch.  We manage 2,256 nature reserves covering more than 90,000 hectares; we stand up for wildlife; we inspire people about the natural world and we foster sustainable living.

Coast, Wolds, Wetlands & Waterways LEADER
Information about the Coast, Wolds, Wetlands & Waterways LEADER programme can be found at www.ruralprogrammeseastyorkshire.co.uk/rdpe. The LEADER programme is being financed by the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development and Defra as part of the Rural Development Programme for England.

Further information

Images and interviews, please contact:
Joanna Richards
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, 1 St George’s Place, York, YO24 1GN
joanna.richards@ywt.org.uk
www.ywt.org.uk/
01904 659 570