The county’s largest nature conservation charity is to launch ‘Live for Wildlife – Habitat Rescue’ on Friday 6th March following a trial period by asking people to live stream their activities such as gaming, cooking, creating art and crafting and help to raise money for the charity in the process.
The Trust are the first Wildlife Trust in the UK to launch a fundraising appeal of this type.
The live streamers encourage their viewers to donate online to a cause or appeal to help the charity’s fundraising efforts. The money will go towards the Trust’s conservation work across the county, including management of its nature reserves and engagement work with families and young people.
The first aim from ‘Live for Wildlife’ will be to raise funds to buy a precious habitat near Leek.
Gun Moor, which is near the Trust’s Roaches nature reserve, has no statutory protection, meaning it could be lost forever if the Trust fails to secure the £156,000 necessary to purchase it.
The site has breath-taking views in all directions and is also an important habitat for flora as well, including wild cranberry, bog asphodel, several types of sedge and the cross-leaved heath.
Live for Wildlife has been set up by Aimee Booth, a regular live streamer on Twitch who is working with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust to hopefully raise more money for the charity.
She said: “Live streaming websites have become hugely popular over the past few years and a great way for charities to raise money. St Jude’s Children’s Hospital in America raised £20million through donations from Twitch and the gaming community – so it is a huge market.
“Using Twitch to pass on the Trust’s message jumps onto what young people are already interested in. It taps into a new audience and lets people know about the Trust who perhaps ordinarily wouldn’t do.
“We’re attempting to create a community of live streamers who can help promote the Trust and when they stream, encourage people to donate to help the work we do across Staffordshire.
“During our trial period, we had one streamer who raised £600 in donations for the Gun Moor appeal after livestreaming herself carrying out various fundraising stunts on Twitch.
“So it does work and it is an exciting and innovative way for us to raise money for our appeal to save vital landscapes in Staffordshire.”
Anyone who wishes to be part of the Trust’s streaming community can do so and find out more here https://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/live-for-wildlife
Pictured is Aimee Booth, from Stafford