It’s December at long last! We’ve got our trees decorated, the carols are on and hot chocolates are aplenty – but there is still plenty of work to complete before we get into holiday mode!

two people hiking through winter hills

Applying for a grant

The ‘apply for a grant’ form and content is being given a refresh by Sam, following feedback from users and the grant team. The form will now be much more in line with best practice: one question per page, better routing so users don’t see content they don’t need and removing superfluous words. We’ll give it a standard start and confirmation page, and standard email triggers. The grant form is one of our most used forms, so it’s good to get this work done.

As a new grant window is opening soon, new content is needed so people can find out about the grant, whether they are eligible to apply, and then how to apply. The grants team know when to work with comms colleagues and when to work with us in digital (this is not always clear to colleagues). They use Citizen Space to run webinars to help potential applicants with their applications, comms work on their press releases and social media, and we deal with the user-facing service side.

a gift wrapped with a card on top

Giving Tuesday – Celebrating a global day of giving

This week, some of the team celebrated Giving Tuesday – a day of global giving where everyone, everywhere can do something to support the good causes and communities that make a positive difference in our world.

This can look different for everyone, but the important thing is taking action on a global scale.

In 2020, Giving Tuesday set the world record for the most money raised online for charity in 24 hours, with donations worth £20.2 million raised in a single day.

In 2022, it was estimated that over £20 million was raised on Giving Tuesday in the UK alone.  

When the world comes together, even small contributions add up to a great impact. It’s never too late to support a cause that matters to you. Many charities, shelters and organisations struggle at this time of year. You could make a donation, create a shoebox gift, or volunteer your time.

Want to help make the world a better place this Christmas? We’ve compiled a selection of gifts that keep on giving, especially to those in need.

  • Plan UK runs a range of projects to assist some of the world’s poorest children. You can sponsor a child and your donations will help fund vital work, like training new teachers to installing water points.

  • Good Gifts is a means of getting suitable gifts to people who really need them, endorsed by a range of worthwhile charities. Buy a bicycle for a midwife in Cambodia, or help turn weapons of war into farm implements with Good Gifts.

  • Refuge runs a parcel scheme for at women and children escaping domestic violence, including children’s parcels and emergency parcels to help people rebuild their lives.

  • Oxfam offers a variety of gifting options at Christmas, from clean water to renewable energy, training women to be farmers to supporting young climate activists. Each gift card or charity e-card that you buy funds an important area of Oxfam’s work to power positive change worldwide.

  • You can even protect an acre of rainforest with the Rainforest Foundation UK or support nature closer to home by sponsoring a tree with the Woodland Trust. They will also send you a certificate to mark the gift, perfect for a nature loving friend on Christmas Day!

photo of the homepage banner on our website

Warning users about dangerous weather

With a red weather warning kicking in, we deployed the global banner onto our website to direct visitors to the related press release. This is a rare occurrence - we’ve only previously used it during the pandemic, and for the queen’s death in 2022!

photo of heather covered in frost

Other things we’ve been working on:

  • James presented the findings of his species licensing user research interviews in a show and tell on Thursday. He’s now working with Sam and Phil to use the findings to inform content design of our web pages and application forms
  • Sophie has also met with experts at Citizen Space to share insights and feedback with their designers, with the intention of using the platform for a greater number of activity types
  • As well as amending a couple of application forms, Shaun has been working on updating the website guidance on ammonia assessments for pigs and poultry and looking at how we can best provide information on Best Available Techniques (BAT) for industry applying for Environmental Permits
  • Toyah is working on feedback from the Permit Receipt Centre about part of the redesigned band 1 marine licence form
  • Sophie has been busy updating out of date links, amending inaccessible content and meeting with subject matter experts to consult on the best course of action for various pieces of content

photo of a snowy mountain with two hikers

Friday Fun Fact - Wet snow vs. dry snow

Ever wondered why sometimes snow sticks together and sometimes it’s powdery and loose? The Met Office says the reason for this lies in the snowflake’s journey as it falls through the atmosphere.

Snowflakes that fall through a dry, cool atmosphere will be small and powdery and won’t stick together. We call this dry snow - it’s ideal for skiing, but not for building a snowman.

The snowflakes that form wet snow will have fallen through temperatures slightly warmer than 0 °C. As they fall, the snowflakes melt slightly around the edges and stick together to form large, heavy flakes. These stick together easily and are the best for a snowball fight and making snowmen.