East Suffolk Council

Posted by on 29 November 2021 | Comments

Over £8,000 has been granted to projects in East Suffolk to help promote and protect biodiversity, and further bids are now being invited.

The East Suffolk Greenprint Forum launched its Nature First Small Grant scheme, thanks to funding from East Suffolk Council, earlier this year.

So far, the Greenprint Forum has awarded grants totalling £8,265.19 to eleven projects which will help make a difference to the people who live in our communities by enhancing and promoting nature and biodiversity.

Lowestoft in Bloom has been enabled to create a nature garden at St Margaret’s allotments site after receiving £414.95. Children from local schools will be invited to the garden to discover wildlife, learn about where vegetables come from, and carry out other activities.

Meanwhile, another project to protect biodiversity was allocated £1,600. Jetty Lane CIO is working in partnership with Transition Woodbridge to rewild the land at the site of the future Jetty Lane Centre to ensure biodiversity is protected and provide a useful addition to the network of wildlife corridors in the town.

Other projects which have received funding through the scheme so far includes:

• Pathways Care Farm received £1,000 to create raised beds and a course to teach pupils, parents and staff at Beccles Primary Academy about growing and harvesting vegetables organically and sustainably.
• Greener Waldringfield was allocated £365 to provide a course in hedge laying for volunteers to help create, restore and maintain healthy hedgerows.
• Friends of Bungay Community Library received £555 to enhance its courtyard garden to promote biodiversity with more habitats and fitting bird feeders and nest boxes with wi-fi cameras to engage users of the library with a live stream of the birds nesting and feeding in the garden.
• Aldeburgh’s Amazing Swifts was allocated £1,000 to install double swift boxes, cameras, call system and air quality sensor to Thomas Miles High School in Framingham to enable students to learn more about swifts.

Cllr James Mallinder, East Suffolk Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, said:

“This scheme is just another example of how East Suffolk Council puts the environment at the heart of everything it does. Not only are we leading the way with our ‘Pardon the weeds, we’re feeding the bees’ initiative, we’re encouraging and enabling local people to get involved in enhancing and protecting our local environment so that we can all work together to build the right environment for East Suffolk and environmentally sustainable communities.”

Jane Healey, Chair of the Greenprint Forum, said:

“I am really pleased to see these nature-related projects benefit from this scheme and contribute towards the Greenprint Forum’s goal of an East Suffolk where the value of nature is recognised by the majority, visitors are attracted because of it, and everyone actively cares for it.”

The aim of the scheme is to support the Council’s environmental vision in building the right environment for East Suffolk by funding projects that contributes to the enhancement of local biodiversity and/or its understanding and appreciation by the local community.

The scheme is now open once again for further applications. Eligible projects could include work to restore existing habitats or create to new ones, provision of nesting/roosting places for birds, pollinators and other animals, or activities to help local people of any age learn more about and enjoy their local biodiversity.

The East Suffolk Greenprint Forum is a voluntary network open to all and facilitated by the Council. It aspires to improve the quality of life in the district while reducing the impact on the environment.

See more information about the Greenprint Forum

See all the projects allocated funding through the first round of the Nature First Small Grant scheme

See guidance for applicants

Make an application