In July, Durham Wildlife Trust launched an ambitious fundraising campaign to purchase fields on the edge of the road into Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve, which are vulnerable to development. The target was to secure the £54,000 needed to unlock £540,000 – the total amount needed to purchase the fields - from the Landfill Communities Fund scheme via a bid to Biffa Award.

Thanks to overwhelming support the target was reached within a week of the campaign going live. But the Trust’s fundraising did not stop there. Every pound raised above that needed for the match funding will be used to expedite the Trust’s conservation plans for the space, creating wetland and meadow habitats in the fields. So the Trust team was pleased to see the donations continue to arrive. At this point, the fundraising campaign total stands at a magnificent £81,500.

Why this land is important

Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve is a haven for local wildlife and popular visitor destination for those hoping to get closer to nature. However, the land beside the access road to Rainton Meadows is not part of the reserve and was a risk for development, which would have had a detrimental effect on the wildlife at the reserve.

Buying this land will enable the Trust to create a buffer between the existing nature reserve and nearby housing, protecting existing species – including curlew and lapwing - and giving scope to attract more wildlife to a special part of our region.

Next steps

With the match funding secured, the bid to Biffa Award has now been completed and submitted. The Trust should receive confirmation on whether it has been successful in the autumn. At that point we will update our supporters and hope to start work on improving the space for nature. 

The land has incredible potential to deliver nature recovery, particularly by creating species-rich grasslands. Additional plant species will be introduced to the site using green hay from Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve, with conservation grazing implemented to help create new flower-rich meadows. Ponds and wetland habitats will be created in the low-lying areas and hedges planted to screen the land to prevent disturbance of important species such as curlew and lapwing. Viewing areas will be added to allow visitors to enjoy the wildlife without causing disturbance.