The Trust

The Rusland Horizons Trust Limited is the successor organisation to The Rusland Horizons Landscape Partnership Scheme (RHLPS).

The RHLPS was one of very few community-led Landscape Partnership Schemes to be funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

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 rural and wooded area located towards the southern edge of the Lake District National Park, historically known as part of the High Furness Fells.

Funding for RHLPS 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. Those funds were managed and accounted for by lead partner, The Lake District National Park Authority.

By any measure, this project has been an outstanding success, and The Rusland Horizons Trust Limited (RHTL) has been established to continue and to build upon this vital work.

We encourage everyone with an interest in the Rusland area to join us as a member.

Becoming a member

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The Objects of The Trust are:

To promote, enhance, improve, protect and conserve the physical and natural environment and maintain its natural beauty for the public benefit within a broad area of the Lake District centred on the Rusland valley and fells.
To advance education and interest in the landscape and natural environment and in particular in the skills and knowledge associated with the conservation and improvement of the physical, natural and social environment of the area.

To appreciate the full extent of the work already carried out by The Rusland Horizons Landscape Partnership, and the basis for our future work, browse the Rusland Horizons website.

About The Trust

The Rusland Horizons Trust Limited is an entirely different entity to RHLPS and is independent of any partner organisations. It is a registered charity and has been a charity since 1987. At that time "Woodmanship Limited" was established to further the work of Walter Lloyd, a well-known Coppicer and Woodman in the South Lakes area.

Since its inception, the limited funds had been diligently allocated to further those activities, and by late 2018 the original funds had all been distributed. Nevertheless, the trustees were keen that the charity should continue and suggested to members of RHLPS (who were planning for their post-Heritage Lottery funding period) that Woodmanship Limited, with an adjustment to its Objects, might be a suitable vehicle to take Rusland Horizons forward. In doing so, they could encompass the original objectives of the charity in the new, broader Objects.

The proposal was agreed by all parties, and Woodmanship Limited became "The Rusland Horizons Trust Limited" in November 2018. The revised Objects were subsequently approved by both Companies House and the Charity Commission. The mantle of responsibility passes formally from RHLPS on 1st July 2019.

We encourage everyone with an interest in the Rusland area to join us as a member.

Becoming a member

Funding the Future

As there is no follow-on funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, RHTL has to find alternative sources of funding for all future activities. This funding will come from membership fees, donations from within the community and further afield, grants from charities, and corporate donations or sponsorship.

Good progress has already been made in obtaining funding for the initial period of operation, and an application for new funding from the National Lottery is in progress. Not on the scale of the Heritage Lottery grant but, if successful, this new funding will be focussed upon young persons’ training in countryside and environmental skills.

The Rusland Horizons Trust looks forward to delivering its Objects with the support of the community, partners and funders into the foreseeable future.

Will you join us?

We are encouraging everyone who has an interest in the Rusland area to become a member of The Rusland Horizons Trust and have their say. Your annual membership fee will also help to support our vital work.

Becoming a member

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Rusland Horizons Rusland Horizons Trust. Registered Office: Pipistrel House, Finsthwaite Lane, Backbarrow, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 8QD. Tel: 07908 986795 Email: hello@ruslandhorizonstrust.org

Rusland Horizons was a Landscape Partnership funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund until July 2019. It is now being delivered by The Rusland Horizons Trust Limited. Company No. 2133450; Charity No. 519410; Registered Office: Pipistrel House, Finsthwaite Lane, Backbarrow, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 8QD.

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