Ribble Rivers Trust to receive £660k to create and retain green jobs

The project is one of 90 projects across the country to receive funding from the second round of the Conservative Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund – worth a total £40m. – which will back initiatives such as creating new insect pathways in towns and the countryside, planting more trees in urban areas, and restoring moorlands, wetlands, peatlands, and forests.

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson said: “Preserving and restoring our precious natural environment is absolutely essential if we want it to be there and enjoyed by our children and grandchildren.

“The £660,000 awarded to the Health & Environmental Action Lancashire project in the Pendle area will help restore and safeguard our local natural landscape – creating and supporting green jobs in our community, and helping secure a green recovery.

“At the last election I promised to work with the Government to protect our natural environment, and this funding will help to deliver on that promise as we build back greener from the pandemic”.

Combined with the £40m. from the first round of funding, this brings the total amount paid out through the Green Recovery Challenge Fund up to £80m. – supporting and creating a combined total of 2,500 green jobs.

The two rounds of funding will lead to almost a million trees being planted, contributing towards the Government’s manifesto commitment to treble tree planting rates across England by the end of Parliament.

The Fund is also contributing towards the Government’s wider 25 Year Environment Plan commitments, including commitments to treble tree-planting rates in England by the end of this Parliament and restoring 35,000 hectares of peat.