Deadline: 14-Oct-2020
The Heritage Fund is seeking applications for the Local Places for Nature 2020 grant program. Local Places for Nature is a capital grant scheme intended to enable communities in Wales to restore and enhance nature.
Objectives
The scope for Local Places for Nature is broad and they intend it to be locally determined. But it may include some, or many of, the following types of Stop, Grow, Change objectives:
- Stop the decline in nature
- halt and reverse the negative impact of historic practices and restore habitat on land, in local rivers, streams and ponds and in the marine environment
- minimise the use of pesticides, fertilisers and peat-based compost
- reduce water pollution
- change mowing practices
- remove invasive and non-native species and other threats to nature
- improve water regulation and drainage
- Grow nature
- increase the number and extent of ‘places for nature’
- increase species abundance
- develop resilient ecological networks, green corridors and wildlife passages
- increase community orchards, the capacity and availability of community growing, allotments
- encourage nature onto public sector estate – for example: public buildings, public spaces, community gardens and other public assets
- increase or create urban green spaces, street trees, urban green infrastructure and green roofs
- increase biodiversity – for example through: helping pollinators, hedgerows, flower-rich meadows and verges, woodlands and by creating meadow areas on sloping land
- Change practices
- encourage and remove barriers to ‘doing the right thing’
- change land use to promote nature, restore habitats, change the capacity of an area for flood or surface water attenuation
- improve soil and water quality
- increase safe access to drinking water (refill stations/water fountains)
- improve air quality/remove pollutants
- use green infrastructure to minimise flooding or improve water availability
- acquire, restore and enhance nature in towns and cities and in the marine environment
Funding Information
The Local Places for Nature scheme will offer:
- up to one year of grant funding for nature projects worth up to £50,000. In certain circumstances it can fund up to £100,000 but please discuss this with us before applying.
- up to 100% funding
- funding for not-for-profit organisations (statutory and third sector) with a bank account and a constitution
Requirements
- It’s important that you think about how your project will meet the requirements for this grant scheme.
Your project must:
- acquire, restore or enhance nature
- deliver environmental growth that can be seen “from your doorstep”
- be delivered by between June 2020 and 31 March 2021
- deliver a capital asset that has a plan for future maintenance
- have a plan for local activity, designed and led by communities. Enabling participation for a wider range of people; helping them to experience and value nature, leading to individual and community action to protect and enhance nature.
- demonstrate additional multiple benefits spanning environmental, social, economic and cultural wellbeing
- understand and enhance existing biodiversity of the selected site
- follow accepted guidance on biodiversity and biosecurity for example using locally sourced plants, avoiding non-native, invasive species, fertilisers, pesticides and the use of peat-based materials
- Projects can be based anywhere in Wales as long as they are ‘local’ in their nature. However, the fund have a particular interest in projects that are:
- focused in areas of deprivation
- located in urban or peri-urban areas (rural/urban areas)
- The Fund wants to hear from communities delivering projects on their “doorstep”, but a small number of landscape-scale demonstrator projects up to £100,000 may be considered.
- Focus on the “small things that make an impact locally”
- The Fund encourages all projects to consider adding “small things that make a difference locally”. They may not be the focus or reason for the project, but may be incorporated to deliver greater value and benefit.
All projects should try to incorporate at least one “small thing” such as:
- increasing allotments, community growing and community orchards
- encouraging tiny forests and street trees
- providing water fountains and refill stations
- creating flower-rich meadows and verges for example by: wildflower planting, creating meadow areas on sloping land and changing mowing practices
- encouraging pollinators: joining the Bee Friendly scheme and becoming bee champions and reducing pesticides
- using peat-free compost, using native species, avoiding non-native species and using locally sourced products where possible
- not spreading unwanted invasive non-native species, pests and disease, and removing them whenever possible.
For more information, visit https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/publications/local-places-nature-guidance
