Founder and Director of our Network, Sue Howorth also takes an active role outside of her business, including working as  a trustee for Cumbrian charitable foundation, Cumbria Community Foundation.  Sue is pictured here alongside fellow trustee John Wilson, with Tim Berry from English Lakes Hotels and Nick Butterfield of Windermere, Ambleside and District Angling Association as they announce a partnership fundraising initiative to help protect and promote local landscape and heritage.

English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues has joined forces with the Cumbria Community Foundation to launch a new visitor giving scheme that will support local community and environmental projects.

The new English Lakes Sustainability Fund will provide grants for charitable, not-for-profit groups which are working to protect and promote the local landscape, environment and heritage.

Administered by the Cumbria Community Foundation, the hotel group’s activities will include conservation projects which improve the physical and natural environment in both the Lake District and North Lancashire, where its five hotel venues are situated.

English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues managing director Simon Berry explains:  “Our aim is to ensure a policy of conservation, sustainability and local support for the environment and our history whilst we develop our tourism and hospitality offering.

“Raising funds for worthy causes such as the new English Lakes Sustainability Fund keeps us in touch with our local history and our geographical sense of place.  We will mainly be supporting habitat creation and restoration, conservation and planting schemes.”

The first grant from the new scheme has been awarded to Windermere, Ambleside and District Angling Association.  Funding of just over £5,000 has been secured for a project to improve access to Castlehead Tarn near Grange-over-Sands and help open up the area for wheelchair users, more visitors and angling enthusiasts.

Nick Butterfield of Windermere, Ambleside and District Angling Association says: “The allocation of the grant award from English Lakes Hotels is allowing us to fully renovate a disused lake, providing flat, level access for disabled and mobility impaired anglers in the South Lakes.

“This has created a safe and tranquil environment for people to enjoy, as well as giving us appropriate facilities to accommodate specialist groups and juniors.”

The Cumbria Community Foundation currently manages 90 grant making funds, supporting more than 500 community projects per year on behalf of fund holders like English Lakes Hotels. Since 1999, it has invested more than £44m into nearly 4,000 groups and 8,000 individuals.

For further information about English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues, visit: englishlakes.co.uk