A CHARITY thanked the public for raising thousands in less than a week for a children's well-being project.

Northumberland Wildlife Trust thanked supporters of its Wilder Ways to Wellbeing project appeal via The Big Give Green Match Fund, the UK’s largest online giving platform.

The wildlife charity’s appeal raised £24,629 in less than a week.

The donations will enable the Trust’s Wild City Team to form long-term partnerships with schools in Gosforth, Wallsend, Amble and Mickley and make educational programmes to improve pupils' health, wellbeing and learning, whilst embedding nature in the school’s curriculum.

The project will provide 22 free school holiday sessions to help families connect with green spaces.

Children in the North-east are amongst the least likely to spend time with nature or experience the benefits of nature in their school and home lives according to Natural England.

Northumberland Wildlife Trust Wild city manager, Julia Carr, said: “We are absolutely over the moon that the public really got behind us on this project and dug deep, in difficult financial times, to ensure our Wilder Ways to Wellbeing project went from a dream to reality.

“The generosity of those who donated will now help us encourage the next generation of young people to connect with nature and receive its health and wellbeing benefits.”