Surprised and Delighted. By Hedge Laying.

I got an email yesterday from Friends of the Lake District. It thanked me for the £250 I was able to give them earlier this month (see previous post).

It was a lovely email.

First, I must say that I tend to have quite a few conversations with the charities we work with about how they should surprise and delight their donors with their communications. Often, it's not the easiest thing to do. However, this email did that. Because the lovely people at Friends of the Lake District have asked me if I would like to have my (or my son's) name on a trophy they need to buy for an annual hedge laying competition.

It made me laugh to begin with. But then I began to think (and do a bit of research).

Hedge laying is important. According to the National Hedge Laying Society, "Hedgerows help to define the uniqueness of the British countryside and are an important wildlife habitat. They require sympathetic management if we are to preserve them for future generations."

The competition for which this trophy is being used for encourages lots of young farmers to get involved. So, in a way that wasn't obvious to me at first, my gift will be used in the way I intended - to help preserve the beauty of the Lake District now and for future generations.

Mark