A NEW fund for environmental charities is now open for applications.

Grants from £50,000 to £5m are now available 'to kick-start the nation’s green recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic'.

The grants - made available by the National Lottery Heritage Fund - are intended for cash-strapped environmental charities and partnerships.

All projects to receive funding must meet some of the following criteria: nature conservation and restoration work; 'nature-based solutions', particularly focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation such as through tree-planting and restoring peatland; projects that seek to 'connect people with nature'.

Barrow MP Simon Fell said yesterday: "As [David] Attenborough's #ExtinctionTheFacts showed last night, we must act now to restore nature - everyone can make a difference."