Future of Lundy Island secure
We’re delighted to announce the success of our urgent appeal, which launched in August following shock financial hardship in wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Our exquisite island was facing an uncertain future – between income lost during lockdown and reduced capacity on reopening, our future was in jeopardy.
Thanks to 2,271 supporters the appeal has raised an incredible £214,000, including a generous grant of £10,000 from our friends the Lundy Field Society. This extraordinary support means the island’s future is safeguarded and will enable vital conservation works and the varied education programme to resume.
A huge thank you
“Just a few short months ago, the Coronavirus pandemic dealt a devastating blow, leaving our precious island and community facing an uncertain future.
Since we launched our urgent appeal, the support we’ve seen for Lundy has been extraordinary and it is with great relief that we can announce success.
Thanks to the generosity of so many, our island and all who depend on it for their livelihoods has greater security. Vital work can resume, including planting native saplings to replace lost or dying trees, clearance of invasive rhododendron from cliffs, repairing the island’s paths and steps, plus providing learning materials for visiting schools. Thanks to the public support, we’ve been able to unfreeze vacancies, and two new permanent members of staff have now joined our dedicated team.
From all on Lundy, a very heartfelt thank you to all who supported the appeal so generously - especially in such challenging and difficult times."
Derek Green, Lundy General Manager
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Rob Waterfield, Island Manager
Sue Waterfield, Stores Manager
"Huge thanks to everyone who donated to the appeal. We will all sleep much better at night, knowing that your support is there to keep Lundy open, accessible and safe for our visitors, and meet all the essential costs this involves."
Find out about activities and things to do on Lundy >
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Dean Woodfin Jones,
Wildlife Warden
"Your generosity will be put to immediate use supporting our Conservation Team with vital equipment and materials needed to protect Lundy’s unique wildlife, from monitoring stations for nesting seabirds, to the tools to fix our dry stone walls, and saplings to replace lost or dying trees.”
Find out about Lundy’s wildlife >
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Rosie Ellis,
Education Officer
"Your support will keep our education programme running, so that children have the chance to visit Lundy and learn about the work we do to protect its wildlife, above and below the waves. We’re really looking forward to bringing more schools back to the island for day trips once the Oldenburg starts sailing again next season."
Discover more about educational visits to Lundy >
Lifeline grant support
The remarkable public appeal response complements two grants awarded to the Lundy Company Limited since the Coronavirus pandemic hit. Taken all together, the support means Lundy is no longer in peril.
Support from the Culture Recovery Fund
The Lundy Company Ltd is one of 445 heritage organisations across the country set to receive a lifesaving financial boost from the government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The vital grant to the island from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund is designed to help museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues through the coronavirus pandemic.
The £500,000 grant will ensure the island can survive by protecting 45 jobs for staff directly employed by Lundy through the coming 2020/2021 winter. It will ensure the island can remain open and accessible to visitors in a safe way, by building on the existing extensive Covid-control measures the Lundy team has already put in in place. The fund will also cover fuel costs for heat, light and power.
Support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund
To our delight, the National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded Lundy a maximum grant of £250,000, from their Emergency Fund. We are immensely grateful to the Heritage Fund for their support at a crucial time, which was thanks to the National Lottery and its players. This grant was instrumental in enabling our operations to continue through the challenging summer, and gave us precious time to manage the successful public appeal.
