Since 1994, HLF has awarded an amazing £7.9billion to over 43,000 projects using money raised through the National Lottery.

Nature is very much part of our heritage and over the years the wildlife charity has received Heritage Lottery Fund support for a variety of projects from archaeology, Coast Care and red squirrels to its current Kielder Wildwood project which is restoring one of the wildest landscapes in England and the Restoring Ratty project which is working to bring the iconic water vole (aka’ Ratty’) back to the region’s water courses.

Ros Kerslake, Heritage Lottery Chief Executive says: “For more than 20 years, HLF has been investing money raised by National Lottery players in heritage projects with people at their heart. We do not define heritage, we leave it to people to decide what they treasure and want to explore, but we do insist that there has to be public benefit."

In 2012, the Trust was awarded funds to develop its Dynamic Druridge project that included a new Wildlife Discovery Centre on its Hauxley nature reserve. The Centre was built by an army of volunteers and opened in June 2017 by television presenter and wildlife cameraman Simon King OBE.

However, do not just take the Trust’s word for it, why not add a trip to the reserve to your 2019 ‘To Do’ list.

Alex Lister, Druridge Bay Living Landscape Manager, says: “Thanks to National Lottery players we’ve been able to do some fantastic work over the Druridge Bay area for a number of years.

“Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre forms a big part of that and is testament to how valuable National Lottery players and the Heritage Lottery Fund are; so why not come along to the Centre’s Lookout Café and taste one of our famous scones and see our very own piece of heritage treasure.”

Lookout for other fantastic projects across the UK at #HeritageTreasuresDay and @heritagelottery.