African Parks Awarded Funding Of £200,000 from People's Postcode Lottery, United Kingdom

African Parks is pleased to announce that players of People's Postcode Lottery have awarded the charity £200,000 in funding to be used for the rehabilitation of Liwonde National Park in Malawi. In July, African Parks concluded a 20 year agreement with the Government of Malawi to manage Liwonde National Park and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve. Liwonde National Park is home to the largest remaining elephant population in Malawi as well as populations of black rhino.

The funding from players of People's Postcode Lottery will be used for the socio-economic development of local communities, to restore the biodiversity of the park, to ensure the sustainable use of natural resources, to reduce the incidence of human-wildlife conflict and to enhance the tourism product. It will also be used for the development of infrastructure which will not only facilitate park operations but also benefit local communities. 

Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People's Postcode Lottery, said: "We have been impressed by the track record of African Parks when it comes to conservation and I am delighted that the support from players of People's Postcode Lottery will contribute to the protection of wildlife in Malawi.

African Parks manages protected areas with a combined 6.1 million hectares. It is the objective of the organisation to manage 20 parks by 2020 comprising a unique and diverse representation of ecosystems. It aims to make wildlife parks socially and economically viable, particularly for the benefit of local communities, as this will contribute to their survival in the face of competing forms of land use. The support from players of People's Postcode Lottery will directly help both conservation and communities in and around Liwonde National Park.

Peter Fearnhead, African Parks CEO said: "We believe that we have little time to ensure the survival of Africa's national parks and wildlife reserves. Many will collapse unless appropriate levels of funding, effective management and good governance are devoted to their survival. It is our intention to play a major role in securing their future and to increase the number of parks under our management in the coming years. To be able to do so we need financial support, we are therefore thrilled with the funding from players of People's Postcode Lottery which will allow us to make a difference right away.