Deadline: 28-Sep-21
The Sustainable Development Fund is available to a variety of local community and conservation organisations (or individuals) to support projects for the conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty of the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
The Sustainable Development Fund is a fund provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to enable local communities and other organisations to make a difference in AONBs by promoting and achieving sustainable development, partnership, and social inclusion.
The AONB manages the Fund and works with local organisations to encourage project development and applications. These projects focus on integrating the environment, local communities, and the economy so that the unique landscape of the AONB is conserved and its natural beauty enhanced, making it more enjoyable for all.
This is intended to support small projects and grassroots organisations where finding match funding would be prohibitive to delivering important local conservation.
The 1991 Policy Statement on AONBs identifies three related purposes:
- Recreation (‘the demand for recreation should be met insofar as this is consistent with the conservation of natural beauty’)
- Socio-economic (‘account should be taken of the needs of agriculture, forestry, other rural industries, and the economic and social needs of local communities’)
- Sustainable development (‘particular regard should be paid to promoting sustainable forms of social and economic development that in themselves conserve and enhance the environment’)
Funding Information
Dedham Vale AONB usually have £30,000 in the fund to award each year and can award up to 70% of project costs. Organisations who are seeking a grant up to/in the region of £500 can apply for 100% of the total project costs.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Fund is open to organisations or groups from the public, private or voluntary sectors from within or outside the AONB.
- Whilst applications from individuals are not precluded, there needs to be wider public benefit and it is expected that in most cases applications will be submitted on behalf of organisations or groups of people.
- Applicants need not necessarily come from, or be based in, the AONB. However, projects must further the conservation and enhancement of the AONB.
- The Government has established a Sustainable Development Fund for each of the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in England.
For more information, visit https://www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org/managing/grants/sustainable-development-fund/
