Water vole ©Terry Whittaker/2020VISION
Double the Difference for Water Voles This Christmas
Save the date to double your donation in The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2nd – 9th December 2025
Once a familiar sight along our rivers and streams, water voles have vanished from over 95% of their former range and are now at risk of disappearing completely from the lowlands of the North East. In Northumberland, they survive only in the North Pennines and a recently reintroduced population at Kielder.
Their decline is largely due to loss of habitat and predation by invasive American mink — but with your help, we can change that story. Our Restoring Ratty project at Kielder has already shown that recovery is possible. Now, we need your support to take the next step and plan for the species’ wider comeback across the region.
Your gift will be doubled – but only for one week!
From midday on 2nd December until midday on 9th December, all donations made to our Wonderful Water Voles appeal through the Big Give Christmas Challenge will be doubled, thanks to match funding from PlanAid.
That means your £25 becomes £50, and your £50 becomes £100 (and even more with GiftAid!)— making twice the difference to the future of water voles in Northumberland.
One donation. Twice the impact.
Your donation will help us to:
- Protect water voles – enabling the creation of a detailed plan to remove mink from Northumberland and secure safe habitats for surviving populations.
- Restore habitats – supporting the recovery of wetlands and river systems that benefit water voles and many other species, including waders and waterfowl.
- Plan reintroductions – helping identify where water voles can naturally recover and where new populations need to be established.
- Support breeding programmes – funding feasibility studies for a dedicated northern water vole breeding centre to safeguard the species’ future.
Act now – your donation will only be doubled until midday 9th December