The ‘Rusland Horizons Landscape Partnership Scheme’ was one of very few community-led Landscape Partnership Schemes to be funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Scheme area covered a rural and densely wooded area known historically as part of the High Furness Fells in the southern region of the Lake District National Park between Coniston Water and Lake Windermere.
Between 2016 and 2019, under the banner of ‘Rusland Horizons’, a range of projects was carried out to revive traditional skills, and to learn about, enhance and enjoy the heritage, habitats and wildlife of the area. Funding for Rusland Horizons HLPS over three years amounted to approximately £1.5M with a significant amount coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund, supplemented by some generous and vitally important donations and sponsorships from a small number of individuals, charities, organisations and companies.
By any measure, the project was an outstanding success, and the enthusiasm of the local community led to the formation of a charity - the Rusland Horizons Trust Ltd - in 2019. The Trust was tasked with continuing and building on the vital work, albeit at a much reduced level of activity and resources. Despite best efforts, it eventually became clear that RHTL didn’t have sufficient funding or resources to keep going. In 2025 the Trust transitioned to become the Rusland Local Support Group for the Cumbria Wildlife Trust (CWT), also a charity with shared aims and objections.
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