Changes to the Heritage Lottery Fund, newly named the National Lottery Heritage Fund to include a major focus on nature, have been welcomed by RSPB Scotland.
With one in 11 species threatened with extinction in Scotland and future funding support for biodiversity and nature conservation fast diminishing or changing, the needs of nature have never been greater.
The National Lottery has, since its inception, been an enormously important funder for biodiversity, and the announcement indicates that the National Lottery Heritage Fund will continue to play a vital role in backing the sector – providing much-needed leadership in the current climate.