Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment (TOE) 2020 Grant Programme

Deadline: 06-Jul-2020

Applications are now open for the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment (TOE) 2020 grant programme to support the delivery of a range of local and strategic projects which will deliver against the county’s priorities for increased sustainability and the emerging Nature Recovery Network.

Areas of Support

In spring 2020 TOE produced a new Strategic Plan outlining that aim to support projects which:

• Increase biodiversity through ensuring viable and diverse wildlife habitats and well managed land
• Ensure people are better connected to nature and their local green spaces for health and wellbeing, learning, volunteering and enjoyment.
• Reduce carbon emissions and encourage ways of living that minimise impact on natural resources to help tackle climate change Education and community involvement are seen as key across all three funding areas.

Funding Information

• Although the majority of TOE grants are up to £7,000, larger requests for up to £10,000 can be considered.

Funding Criteria

• Biodiversity
  • Eligible biodiversity projects should:
    • Improve the overall biodiversity of habitats including woodlands, ponds, rivers, meadows, green spaces and the wider countryside.
    • Improve breeding or habitat conditions for particular species, e.g. planting nectar rich plants for bumblebees.
    • Expand the biodiversity resource within the 36 Conservation Target Areas (CTAs).
    • Improve the quality, quantity and/or coverage of voluntary species recording in Oxfordshire and Berkshire (funded by TVERC).
• Access
  • TOE supports projects which improve local green spaces and the accessibility and quality of the rights of way network, including:
    • Creating new links, circular routes and traffic-free routes
    • Replacing stiles with gates
    • Improving path surfaces, signs and route-marking
    • Promoting the wider use of the countryside and green spaces, and linking with local facilities.
    • Interpretation and education
    • Improving biodiversity of urban green spaces
• Low Carbon
  • TOE wishes to promote existing imaginative and effective schemes and help to inspire more local communities to get involved with making better use of resources and reducing their carbon footprint. Examples that TOE might support include:
    • Natural climate solutions through habitat creation and better habitat management
    • Production of wood fuel through managing local woods for biodiversity
    • Encourage the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste
    • Improve water efficiency
    • Encourage and promote more sustainable transport options
    • Promote, produce or distribute local food and reduce food miles

Eligibility Criteria

• TOE can fund not for profit organisations including voluntary groups, Parish Councils, charities and Community Interest Companies. Local Authorities such as County and District Councils may also apply for grants, but TOE generally prefers applications to be submitted by local community groups or charities.

Location of Projects

• TOE’s priority is to support projects located in Oxfordshire, but consideration can be given to projects which straddle county boundaries or which benefit communities in Oxfordshire and its immediate neighbourhood. TOE is keen to see its funds distributed across the county; they are unlikely to support several projects within one community. Projects to be funded with landfill tax credits must be less than 10 miles from a registered landfill site.

Requirements

• TOE generally only funds projects at sites where there is some level of public access. Please note that any projects funded through the Landfill Communities Fund must have public access for a cross-section of the community for a minimum of 2 days or 4 evenings a week, unless they are biodiversity projects addressing the needs of a priority habitat or species which can take place on private land with no public access.

For more information, visit https://www.trustforoxfordshire.org.uk/main-fund