News

Severn Trent has made extra funding available for communities who want to boost biodiversity across the region.

The water and waste company is inviting individuals, community groups and businesses to apply for a share of £250,000 for projects that’ll improve nature in their local environment.

This stand-alone pot of money is available for a limited time, to help support community-based nature projects across the Midlands that may have got into financial difficulty because of the pandemic.

The scale of each project must be over half a hectare (that’s roughly half the size of a rugby pitch) and must be completed by 31 March 2021.

Zara Frankton, Senior Biodiversity Coordinator at Severn Trent, said: “We understand the devastating impact this pandemic has had on communities across the region. We want to help, which is why we’re encouraging people to come forward with their ideas and apply for this extra funding, to boost biodiversity in their area.

“We’re open to any ideas, but the more creative the better! For a bit of inspiration, previous projects have included wetland restoration, hedgerow planting, wildflower meadow creation and habitat management for native birds and mammals.”

Zara added: “To qualify for this funding, these projects must be completed by 31 March 2021, so applicants will need to make sure their ideas and proposals are shovel-ready. We’ll also consider projects that have already started but weren’t able to be completed, perhaps because they ran into financial difficulty. We need these projects up and running by the Spring to give habitat and other wildlife the best chance to thrive.”

This funding is part of Severn Trent’s Great Big Nature Boost – an ambitious scheme launched back in September, which includes plans to revive over 5,000 hectares of land, plant 1.3 million trees and restore 2,000km of rivers across the Severn Trent region by 2027.

To apply for funding, please email ecologymatters@severntrent.co.uk to express your interest as soon as possible. For more information, please visit www.stwater.co.uk/about-us/environment/great-big-nature-boost/