Since 2007, the wildlife charity has received up to 5% from any order placed, via the Vine House Farm bird food catalogue and website, by residents of Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside.

Based in Lincolnshire, the award winning Vine House Farm is the home of pioneering wildlife-friendly farmer Nicholas Watts MBE and his family.

The black sunflower seeds the farm grows are just part of 400 acres of bird seed crops, which go into wild bird food mixes, along with red millet, canary seed, oil seed and naked oats.

Thanks to the farm’s hedges, ponds, and wildflower margins at field edges, the area is a haven for flocks of wild birds including, rare and declining tree sparrows, red-listed linnets and lapwing.

Birds across the whole of the UK have struggled over the past few years with arctic temperatures in February and early March 2018 caused by the ‘Beast from the East,’ temperatures of 21°C in February 2019 and the record breaking heatwaves this summer.

Dan Venner, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Director of Finance said: “The Watts family are true nature conservation leaders, and their incredible long-term support of Northumberland Wildlife Trust over the last 15 years has enabled us to feed not only birds, but everyone’s interest in local nature.

“Vine House farm customers who are feeding their garden birds with its products are also playing an important part supporting nature’s recovery. Long may this partnership continue.”

To find out more about Vine House Farm, visit www.vinehousefarm.co.uk.