£20m in National Lottery funding backs six community nature projects across the UK
The projects are designed to connect communities with local green spaces while protecting natural heritage.
Key points:
– £20m awarded to six projects connecting communities with green spaces across the UK
– Major funding supports Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Scottish woodlands and North Pennines farmland
– The projects aim to protect nature, improve wellbeing and involve local people in conservation
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced £20m ($27m) in funding for six projects across the UK designed to connect communities with natural heritage while promoting environmental conservation and mental wellbeing.
The latest round of grants, confirmed at June committee meetings, spans locations from Pembrokeshire in Wales to North Lanarkshire in Scotland.
Each project aims to protect environments, preserve heritage and create opportunities for community engagement and skill development.
The largest single award of £9m will support Birmingham Botanical Gardens in restoring its Grade II listed glasshouse and redisplaying its collection of over 30,000 plants.
The project expects to involve more than 22,000 people through events, workshops and volunteer opportunities, with Chair Sue Beardsmore noting the initiative will ensure the gardens can be enjoyed for another 200 years as they approach their bicentenary.
In Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust received £2.6m for the Nurturing Natural Connections project in North Lanarkshire. This five-year initiative will manage over 330 hectares of native woodland, plant more than 2,000 trees and enhance wildflower meadows and waterways in Cumbernauld, benefiting over 6,000 community members.
The North Pennines National Landscape received £654,000 in development funding toward a potential £9.35m delivery grant for its Landscape Connections initiative. This UNESCO Global Geopark project will reconnect habitats and support 250 farmers in expanding nature-friendly practices while encouraging community engagement with local farms.
Good to know: Additional funding includes £2.2m for the Welsh Wildlife Centre in Pembrokeshire to improve accessibility and energy efficiency, £1.8m for Woodoaks Farm in Hertfordshire to restore a 16th-century Grade II listed barn and £3.9m for The Food Museum in Suffolk to restore three historic buildings
Commenting on the latest round of grants, Eilish McGuinness, CEO of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, stated: “Each of these inspiring projects demonstrates a commitment to supporting greater inclusion, diversity and access to nature, and each is working to promote the wellbeing benefits of vital green places to reinvigorate and nurture a resilient future for people and our natural environment.”
The funding announcement follows the Heritage Fund’s recent milestone of investing £1bn in Scottish heritage over 30 years, supporting approximately 5,000 initiatives across Scotland including major projects like Mar Lodge Estate conservation and the Burns Birthplace Museum.
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