I WAS delighted to read your article about the recent red squirrel survey (Gazette, September 4, “Take it as red, the squirrel is thriving”) and the stability of the red squirrel populations in Cumbria, and particularly the Lake District.

This is due to the fantastic work of red squirrels northern England and the voluntary local red squirrel groups on the ground giving the reds a fighting chance over the greys. The effort of those groups, in turn, is supported by a host of local businesses which are raising money for them through Nurture Lakeland’s Visitor Giving scheme.

In addition, a group of 27 businesses, comprising hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, cafes and shops, are helping to fund the red squirrel conservation work through Nurture Lakeland’s Visitor Giving scheme. We want to give them a big thank you too, them for their contribution to the red squirrel success story.

These businesses encourage donations from their tourist customers using a variety of methods – it might be £2 added to a hotel bill or the proceeds from the sale of a product.

Businesses are able to fundraise using any method they feel best suits them and their business’s needs. The flexibility of the Visitor Giving scheme means even the smallest businesses can raise money in this way for local conservation projects.

Visitor Giving works on the principal that lots of small donations add up to make a big difference: last year we raised over £100,000 for conservation projects in Cumbria.

The end result is that local businesses help to enhance the natural environment of the National Park and visitors get the warm fuzzy feeling knowing they are contributing to conserving the Lake District for the future.

If we continue to encourage tourists to put something back into this special place, we can all benefit.

For more information about our work, go to www.nurturelakeland.org.uk

Karen Mitchell

Director, Nurture Lakeland Staveley