The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Windfarm operator Dong Energy have announced available funding for habitat/species conservation and other projects if initiated by community organisations.

There is an opportunity here for the Lincolnshire Bird Club to put in a bid for a project - maybe, for instance, to pay for some swift or other species nestboxes.

Funding of between £1,000 and £5,000 Is available for approved projects, but they need to be based on or near the coast.

That includes places such as:
Sutton-on-Sea
Mablethorpe
Wainfleet
Mumby
Hogsthorpe
Boston
Grimsby
Cleethorpes

On the basis of nothing ventured nothing gained, perhaps the committee might consider (at its February meeting) identifying a potential project and submitting a bid.

The deadline for the first round is is March 15, with decisions due to be announced at the end
of June 2017.

LBC is primarily a recording organisation, but it has shown good species-enhancement initiatives in the past - eg with the peregrines at Louth Church- so it would be a shame not to miss out on this opportunity.

According to the bumf, grants will available for:

* Community buildings and facilities. For example: capital improvement works to village
halls, community centres, museums, heritage centres and community cafes.

* Community activities and services. For example: projects addressing health and
wellbeing, social isolation, community cohesion, access to amenities, young and old people’s
projects, and projects providing support for local clubs and groups.

* Environmental and public open space projects. For example: projects involving parks,
nature reserves, community growing schemes, and habitat/species conservation.

* Sports, recreation and play. For example: playgrounds, skate parks, indoor climbing walls,
sports equipment and sports field drainage projects.

Probably, organisations such as the RSPB and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust will submit
bids, so why not the LBC?

Full details are at:

http://grantscape.org.uk/fund/eastcoastcommunityfund/

Hi Jim

Thanks for this suggestion. LBC works best on this kind of project where local members take the initiative and when they do, LBC is keen to back them. The Peregrines on Louth Church is a very good recent example where Geoff Mullett and John Clarkson have been stalwarts in helping get successful breeding established. There are other good examples too.

If any member living in or near any of the locations listed in your post has a specific idea about a specific project at a specific location and wants to put together a proposal LBC would be very happy to submit it on behalf of the member and give it our backing as long as the member either on their own or with a small group, is prepared to take responsibility for liaising with local property owners etc and implementing their proposed project.

Our next committee meeting is on 15th Feb and if you Jim or any other member has a specific proposal we will look at it on that date. Please contact Rob Carr our Hon Sec by 8th Feb and he will ensure all committee members see it before the meeting.

Thanks Phil - that's helpful. I appreciate that co-operation of the landowner/ property owner is essential - as is the personal responsibility of the individual member(s).

Here's hoping some ideas come forward.

Jim