A NATURE reserve is hoping the public can help them scoop almost £50,000 to fund a new outdoor learning project.

Watchtree Nature Reserve, based at Great Orton near Carlisle, wants people to back them in The People’s Project.

The three projects that receive the most votes in each region will receive up to £50,000 with the runners up being offered a discretionary award of up to £5,000.

Watchtree has been shortlisted for its Wild Learning project, and has applied for £49,500 to fund this outdoor learning.

Ryan Dobson, from Watchtree, said: “We got through the first three stages and we’re now into the final stage which is the public vote.

“The main thing is for people to go online and vote, but if people are supporters of Watchtree we are asking them to get involved in the campaign, tell people about it, share posts, forward on our emails and tell people face to face.

“Add in the personal touch about what Watchtree means to them.”

If successful in securing the funding, the project will allow the group to improve and expand the existing education services it already offers to local schools and healthcare groups, community groups and the wider public.

The Wild Learning project will allow them to help people learn in areas throughout the reserve, such as the woods and the meadows to learn about history, the history of the Solway, wildlife, green energy and art.

Watchtree will have an education officer who will be responsible for implementing the sessions and making them as inclusive as possible, so people of all abilities can take part.

Mr Dobson added: “It will be inclusive, whether we go into the meadows or the woods all of it will be accessible.

“It’s not a case of us saying we’ll make it inclusive, we are going to do it.”

The People’s Project is a partnership between the National Lottery and ITV, it gives the public the opportunity to have a say in where National Lottery funding goes in the local community.

In September 2018 The National Lottery Community Fund invited projects that have received funding through its small grants programme to say what they had achieved and how they would like to develop their project or work further.

You can vote in more than one region but you can only vote for one project per region. If you want to vote in more than one region you will have to place all your votes at the same time.

Mr Dobson, said: “We’ve been in funding competitions before, but the other projects we are up against are from close communities and all have very good projects.

“People just need to vote.”

People have two weeks to vote.

Visit www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk to have your say.