Herefordshire Biodiversity Partnership

Funding Resources

Heritage Lottery Fund - The body which distributes a share of the income from the National Lottery to projects aimed at preserving and making accessible the nation's heritage. NOTE: there is now a reduced partnership (match) funding requirement with immediate effect. See link for more information

SITA – Funding body set up to support environmental improvement projects through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Higher Level Stewardship  Aims to deliver significant environmental benefits in high priority agricultural situations and areas. It involves more complex environmental management so land managers will need advice and support.

The Herefordshire Rivers LEADER+ Programme - Leader+ is a European Community Initiative for assisting rural communities in improving the quality of life and economic prosperity in their local area. This is now CLOSED to large applications. However, there is a one-off round for small projects to a maximum of £5,000 or 70% of project costs (whichever is the lesser). Open to applications in February 2011.

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation - Aims to improve the quality of life throughout the UK by funding the charitable activities of organisations that have the ideas and ability to achieve change for the better. They take pride in supporting work that might otherwise be considered difficult to fund. Primary interests are in the cultural life of the UK, education and learning, the natural environment and enabling disadvantaged people to participate more fully in society.

CO-OP Community Fund - grants scheme that helps local communities throughout the UK. Community Fund grants, between £100 and £2,000 are awarded to community, voluntary, or self-help groups to run projects that meet the following criteria. To be successful a group must carry out positive work in the community and a project must:

• Address a community issue.
• Provide a good long-term benefit to the community.
• Support co-operative values and principles.
• Ideally be innovative in its approach.

Cargill Meats Europe - Charitable or not for profit organisations may apply to Sun Valley based in Herefordshire to promote environmental stewardship. Small grants available.

Awards for All - A Lottery grants scheme funding small, local community-based projects in the UK. Maximum value £10,000 over 2 years.

Herefordshire Council Community Pride Scheme - Taking applications on an "as and when" basis. Aims to help local community groups with social, economic or environmental improvements. Grant available £750 maximum or 75% of total costs. Overall project cost £2000. 

Herefordshire Council Community Projects Grant - Aims to help establish, improve and develop new activities, facilities and services across Herefordshire. The fund can be used for a wide variety of projects providing they support community and economic activities in Herefordshire. Will include new criteria for 2011-2012. Maximum value £2,000 or 50% (whichever is the lesser). Maximum project costs £12,000.

Kingspan Insulation Community Trust - has been set up to benefit the residents of the three parishes of Shobdon, Pembridge and Kingsland. Funding can be given for projects that meet one or more of four objectives.

Parish Plans - This grant is available to Parish and Town Councils or properly constituted groups to undertake a Parish or Community Plan or activities arising from a parish or community plan.

LIFE+ - This is the EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the EU, as well as in some candidate, acceding and neighbouring countries.

Malvern Hills AONB - Landscape and Biodiversity Enhancement Grant. The grant is aimed at supporting practical work and projects that help to enhance the landscape, biodiversity and countryside character of the AONB.

Sustainable Development Fund. This is a grant scheme created to support project that bring social, environmental and economic benefits to the AONB.

Severn Waste Environmental fund - Designed to help mitigate the effects of landfill, uses the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme to help local communities.

Biffaward - Biffa looks to support site-based projects that protect and enhance biodiversity across the UK, particularly those concentrating on species and habitats that have been identified as a priority in Biodiversity Action Plans.

Forestry Commission - The English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) is the Forestry Commission's suite of grants designed to develop the co-ordinated delivery of public benefits from England's woodlands.

• Woodland Planning Grant.
• Woodland Assessment Grant.
• Woodland Regeneration Grant.
• Woodland Improvement Grant.
• Woodland Management Grant.
• Woodland Creation Grant.

CEMEX Community Fund - A dedicated grant resource for enabling and assisting communities local (priorities given to those sites within 3 miles radius) to CEMEX quarry (one on the outskirts of Hereford) and landfill sites to carry out projects that improve or enhance local community facilities and places of interest.

The Naturesave Trust - The Trust was set up in 1995 to fund specific environmental and conservation projects throughout the UK with the primary function to encourage the greater adoption of sustainable development, especially within the Small and Medium Sized business community (SMEs).

The Waterways Trust - Able to distribute a number of grants, usually up to a maximum of £1,000 each, to community-led environmental, access, education and activity projects taking place along the UK's waterways.

British Ecological Society - The Society provides grants to promote excellent ecological research, education, training and communication as widely as possible.

Woodland Trust Woodwatch Grants - Small grants up (to £100)are available to support activities and events relating to local campaigns where ancient woodland is under threat.

Orchard and Hedgerow Grants - are non-statutory and are funded by Herefordshire Council. They can support planting and gapping up of standard orchards and hedgerow management - planting, gapping-up and laying. Maximum grant per applicant £500. These are currently CLOSED

Veolia - Veolia Environmental Trust. Projects must be within 5 miles of a Veolia site (there is a registered site in Hereford).

Wye Valley AONB - Sustainable Development Grant aid is available to support innovative and sustainable projects involving local communities within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The grants are delivered by the AONB Unit, but set up in Wales by the Welsh Assembly Government and co-ordinated by the Countryside Council for Wales, in England by Defra and co-ordinated by Natural England. Grants do have to be match-funded.

The Tubney Charitable Trust - seeks to support activities that have a long term, sustainable, positive impact on the biodiversity of the UK and on the welfare of farmed animals both in the UK and internationally.

The Bromley Trust - Does not support local conservation projects or organisations that work with single-species. Objectives have particular reference to the consequences of climate change and the depletion of natural resources. Promotion of environmental justice. Unrestricted amounts.

Idlewild Trust - Grant making trust that supports registered charities concerned with the advancement of education, the encouragement of the performing and fine arts and the preservation for the benefit of the public of lands, buildings and other objects of beauty or historic interest in the United Kingdom.

OPAL Grants Scheme - aims to help natural history societies and recording schemes grow and flourish. Apply for grants of up to £5,000 to help your society. Focuses on the transfer of skills, to help enthuse and train the next generation of environmentalists. Now accepting applications for the 2011 round.

The Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts - the operating office of 18 grant-making trusts established by three generations of the Sainsbury family. Each trust works autonomously as an independent legal entity with a separate board of trustees, actively led by an individual member of the family with keenly-followed interests.