Foreword
Report from our Chair The year 2020 was like no other. As the COVID-19
But those are just the biggest and most eye-
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catching projects. WLT continues to support our
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partners with funding for many smaller land
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purchases, habitat restoration work and a growing
the challenges of home schooling, caring for others
number of rangers on the ground.
and getting their work done. Across the world, in South and Central America, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe our partners‘ work on the ground was disrupted too. And for a while, understandably, the input of donations was much reduced. +RZHYHU WKH LQLWLDO VKRFN RI WKH SDQGHPLF was swiftly followed by the realisation that our VXSSRUWHUVȆ JHQHURVLW\ IRU QDWXUH ZDV QRW ZDYHULQJ GHVSLWH WKH GLࢇFXOWLHV DQG XQFHUWDLQWLHV LQ DOO RI RXU OLYHV LQ IDFW LW ZDV VWURQJHU WKDQ HYHU /DVW \HDU , reported that WLT had raised £5.6 million in 2019 – the highest total in the charity’s history – and today I am happy to tell you that in 2020 we broke that record by raising £7.1 million, a new all-time record. Higher income translated into higher impact for WKH YHU\ KDELWDWV WKH ZRUOG FDQQRW DࢆRUG WR ORVH ,Q ZH VHQW e WR VDYH DFUHV RI WDSLU and manatee habitat in Colombia and a further £100,000 to safeguard a forest corridor for Critically Endangered gorillas in Cameroon. 0RVW PRPHQWRXV RI DOO ZDV ODVW \HDUȆV 6DYH the Chocó campaign. Thanks to the staggering
These successes were only made possible by the incredible generosity of WLT supporters. Last year, :/7 ZLWQHVVHG D JURZWK RI UHJXODU JLYLQJ WKURXJK our WLT Friends programme, as well as new major corporate supporters. We thank you all. 7KDQNV WR JOREDO HYHQWV OLNH &23 LQ *ODVJRZ DQG WKH LQGHIDWLJDEOH ZRUN RI 6LU 'DYLG $WWHQERURXJK DQG :/7ȆV RWKHU KLJK SURࢉOH 3DWURQV WKH VSRWOLJKW ZLOO FRQWLQXH WR IDOO RQ WKH ELRGLYHUVLW\ DQG FOLPDWH crises throughout 2021 – and WLT aims to continue WR JURZ DV DQ DJHQW RI SRVLWLYH FKDQJH LQ ZLOGOLIH FRQVHUYDWLRQ 6R P\ ࢉUVW IXOO \HDU DV &KDLU RI 7UXVWHHV KDV EHHQ TXLWH D \HDU IRU WKH RUJDQLVDWLRQ RXU VWDࢆ our donors and other supporters, our partner organisations and for the world. I am pleased to VD\ WKDW , WKLQN WKDW :/7 HQWHUHG HYHQ VWURQJHU WKDQ LW HQWHUHG QRW MXVW LQ ࢉQDQFLDO WHUPV EXW DOVR LQ FODULW\ RI SXUSRVH DQG ZLWK DQ HYHQ JUHDWHU team spirit. Let’s see what 2021 has in store for us! Dr Mark Avery, Chair
response to our Big Match Fortnight (BMF), the DSSHDO WR VDYH VRPH RI WKH ODVW RI WKHVH IRUHVWV LQ (FXDGRU WRRN RQO\ WZR ZHHNV 2FWREHU 2020) to reach its original £500,000 target – one of the fastest BMF raises in WLT’s history – and went RQ WR UDLVH e LQ WKH IROORZLQJ ZHHNV ZHOO RYHU RQH PLOOLRQ 86 GROODUV WR VDYH DQ HFRV\VWHP IDFLQJ REOLYLRQ
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