April spotlight on local good causes

Doubling of hatchery’s lobster output is claws for celebration 

Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery is the brainchild of three local sealife enthusiasts working to enhance and protect Scotland’s lobster population. This year, the charity has doubled production by releasing 15,000 hatched juvenile lobsters and 300 female lobsters into local waters.  

Open to the public, the centre allows visitors to see the production stages first hand, to gain an understanding of food sources and realise the importance of sustaining fish stocks amidst the climate crisis.  

Jake Norton, director at the Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery in North Berwick, says: “By increasing the survival of young European lobsters by hundreds of times and releasing them back to sea, we are protecting the species for future generations. This should allow fishers to continue catching the species while creating a healthier ecosystem.”  

Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery received £16,700 raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and awarded by People’s Postcode Trust. The funds have also helped create the interactive, hands-on visitor experience and audio stations at the centre, to enable access for neurodiverse learners and provide engaging, relevant and impactful content. 

Swansea Recycling team goes above and Beyond  

Beyond Recycling Swansea is a project run by The Environment Centre charity to promote understanding of environmental conservation, protection and restoration.  

The initiative helps people make sustainable choices through upcycling workshops, bike repairs and ground litter picks. A Saturday repair café has attracted more than 300 visitors providing a focal point to aid local understanding of environmental issues, climate change and waste reduction.   

The Environment Centre received £17,000 raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and awarded by Postcode Community Trust. It is helping the project to deliver more than 720 volunteer hours of litter picking, 100 free events with 4,000 attendees and it has prevented over 3,200 plastic bottles going to landfill.  

Chris Day, Project Manager at Beyond Recycling says: “The uptake of the project has been phenomenal. It has really changed the way local people view broken items or unwanted materials. As well as giving people a sense of purpose, we are also helping transform green spaces and giving wildlife a chance in Swansea.”   

Jamie Williams, a volunteer at the centre, says: “Working with groups and volunteers at Beyond Recycling is so rewarding. We’re helping the people of Swansea and making a difference to the planet.”

Holme is where the heart is! We love our clean river project 

Covering the river catchment area south of Huddersfield town centre in West Yorkshire, the charity River Holme Connections is passionate about making the area a better place for people and wildlife.   

Dedicated volunteers give their time and expertise to work to improve biodiversity, tackle invasive non-native species, clean up green spaces, educate people about the importance of river ecosystems and improve recreational opportunities for the entire community.  

Across 2022, the team clocked up 2,700 working hours, which included -  

·       Collecting 570 bin bags worth of rubbish 

·       Treating 19 kilometres of river for invasive Japanese knotweed 

·       Cleaning up 9.9 kilometres of river 

·       Planting 20,000 trees and 1,700 wildflower plug plants and  

·       Delivering the River Explorer programme to 340 primary school pupils.  

Receiving £18,000 raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and awarded by Postcode Neighbourhood Trust, the charity works with people and groups across all sectors of society to help improve local rivers and green spaces.   

River Steward Simon Hirst says: “The expansion of our volunteer programme, with their dedication, enthusiasm and motivation to turn out in all weathers continues to amaze and inspire us.  

“The River Holme Holme Valley river is one of our greatest assets and it gives everyone involved a huge boost as we come together and see the positive impact all the hard work is having on our local environment.”

If you go down to the woods today, you’re in for a dig surprise 

Boston Woods Trust, a Lincolnshire charity that develops and conserves the woodland around Boston, is putting £20k of funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery towards growing Dion’s Wood, a 35-acre Nature Reserve.  

Once established, the £250k reserve will include landscaping to provide a lake, three kilometres of all-weather paths, and planting of more than 17,000 trees, shrubs and hedges.  

Serviced by loyal volunteers over two decades, the trust has expanded from managing a 23-acre wood to nearly 150 acres over three sites.   

Trustee Frances Brooks says: “The woods bring long term benefits on many levels. From improving the health and wellbeing of our residents and volunteers, through to community events for visitors to enjoy all the woods have to offer.”   

The funds, awarded by Postcode Places Trust also support volunteering opportunities that help the health and well-being of Boston residents as they care for their local environments.   

Volunteer Dave Stockings says: “After life-changing injuries following an accident, I volunteered with Boston Woods and it has changed my life. I feel like a useful person again, with purpose and enthusiasm, and it is rewarding to be making a difference to our community.”