Over the last 3 years, the Sellafield Ltd social impact, multiplied (SiX) programme has supported the West Cumbria Rivers Trust with over £229,000 of funding to deliver the 'People on the Keekle'; a community engagement and environmental restoration project centred at Longlands Lake near Cleator Moor, West Cumbria.
The project has created forest school areas and workshops for local children, improved accessibility and wildlife habitats and stabilised the river Ehen, as well as provided rewarding volunteering opportunities for local people.
In recognition of these successes Sellafield Ltd has announced an additional £463,647 of extended funding over the next 3 years, meaning the project can deliver further improvements at Longlands Lake and new projects at Dub Beck near Keekle and Mirehouse Pond in Whitehaven.
Dub Beck will benefit from vital restoration work to its riverbank and Mirehouse Pond will see improvements to its public access and new seating areas.
Gary McKeating, Sellafield Ltd's head of community and development said:
One of our SiX objectives is 'thriving communities', which looks to address social and environmental issues in our communities, so it is great to see this project extended to some of our priority areas like Mirehouse, following successful results at Longlands Lake.
We've also supported the four-year Wilder Walkmill project being delivered by West Cumbria Rivers Trust, which will deliver community engagement and habitat improvements to Moresby, near Whitehaven.
I'm looking forward to seeing what both these projects deliver.
Martin Clough, Sellafield Ltd's head of environmental management, said:
It's great to support projects like these that improve the environmental amenities for our communities, and it's been good to see our environmental teams at Sellafield get involved in volunteering opportunities on the project; particularly graduates who are new to our business.
Our people have been involved in both this project and the Wilder Walkmill project, and we continue to work with our social impact colleagues to support community projects that ensure we can have a positive environmental impact outside of the Sellafield site.
Eirini Etoimou, Sellafield Ltd's head of corporate sustainability and supply chain development, said:
This program is sustainability in action. Sellafield is an inextricable member of the region, and this program serves peoples' wellbeing and the health of the environment.
I'm delighted for the collaboration with the West Cumbria Rivers Trust team, and proud of my team and everyone involved and looking forward to the future plans.
