South Staffs Water and sister company Cambridge Water have launched a new fund to actively encourage and enhance biodiversity in the local environment.
The water companies are giving local groups and organisations the chance to apply for grants of up to £10,000 to help fund schemes which actively encourage and enhance biodiversity.
Projects that Explore Biodiversity Benefits in the Local Environment – or Pebble for short – will provide three levels of funding to organisations keen to enhance biodiversity within the utilities’ area of supply.
Dan Clark, Water Resources and Environment Manager for both companies commented:
“We are keen to raise awareness of the importance of looking after our local environment and boosting biodiversity.
“Increasing the variety of natural living things and the diversity of the habitats where they live not only benefits wildlife, it can also enhance local communities and ultimately help improve the quality of our open spaces, which we can all benefit from.”
Projects can include anything that is designed to improve, restore or create new habitats and must be of benefit to the environment and/or the local community.
For example:
- Creating a pond to provide a home for plants and animals
- Planting a garden with species that provide habitats for wildlife such as birds or butterflies
- Transforming an area of neglected, derelict or overgrown space with the addition of new plant species
- Improving the habitat of local rivers and streams through improvements to the channel, banks and flow.
Applications can be received from schools, youth groups, charities or community organisations, however, they must either own the land or have permission from the land owner for the project. All work needs to take place in the future.
The first round of applications for funding in 2016/17 will close on 31 July 2016. A second round may open in December 2016 depending on the success of the first round.
Projects submitted by individuals or those that are purely for research will not be funded.