Today, Tuesday 16 January, The National Lottery Heritage Fund announces £15.6m in funding to make it easier for people to access nature across the UK, so that everyone can experience the benefits of getting outside and connecting with nature.
The transformative projects join well over 215 walking routes already funded by the Heritage Fund across the length and breadth of the UK.
Stretching from Brighton and St Andrews, to Belfast and London, the newly funded projects
will ensure that walking trails, green spaces and other public areas are accessible to a wide range of people. With January being the perfect time to embrace the great outdoors, these projects promise to bring people closer to nature and celebrate the rich tapestry of our natural heritage.
The new London Blue Chain, will be created by Froglife, along the historic 52-mile London
Green Chain walking route, with the help of £573,078 from the Heritage Fund to create,
restore, and connect freshwater habitats to support the sustained growth of amphibian and
reptile populations. The project aims to breathe fresh life into southeast London by
connecting local communities with their natural heritage.
With Championing National Parks for Everyone (£557,955), Peak District Mosaic aim to
continue to raise awareness of and improve accessibility to the Peak District, North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, particularly among ethnically and culturally diverse communities, while National Trust’s Divis A View to the Future project (£2,997,000) will create further opportunities for communities to engage with heritage, nature and place through habitat restoration and development of new walking trails, connecting the people of Belfast to the hills that frame the City’s skyline.
Funding will also be allocated to greenspaces and other public areas, emphasising that you
don’t need to go to the countryside to enjoy a refreshing walk. ‘A Garden Fit For a King’
(£4,369,755) aims to restore the historic Royal Pavilion Estate in Brighton and Hove, including the unique Regency period Garden, while St Andrews Heritage Museum and Garden (£630,688) will be redeveloped improving accessibility, sustainability, community outreach and encourage visitors to explore the wider St Andrews Conservation area. With ‘Unlocking Highgate Cemetery’ (£105,000 development funding), the Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust plans to promote biodiversity and improve accessibility to preserve the working cemetery as a sanctuary to walk, reflect and connect with nature for generations to come.
Since 1994, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £2 billion to 4,700 land, nature and biodiversity projects across the UK. These initiatives have been made possible through the generous support of the National Lottery players, whose contributions continue to make a profound impact on the conservation and celebration of the UK’s unique landscapes and biodiversity.
As part of Heritage 2033, Heritage Fund’s 10-year strategy, the organisation will be
introducing new strategic funding streams including a landscape and nature focused
initiative to be announced later in the year which is set to support large-scale projects that preserves natural heritage and enhance connectivity for people and wildlife.
South Devon’s Life on the Edge project has been allocated £2,246,965 in funding.
The Life on the Edge project strives to bring communities together to help protect some of
the UK’s most vulnerable invertebrate species inhabiting the flower-rich grasslands and cliffs across the coast of South Devon. The project aims to reconnect wild coastal landscapes and provide the tools for communities to take action in their greenspaces, farmland, churchyards, school grounds, highway verges and private gardens to provide more valuable and much needed habitat for these rare insects and other wildlife.
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “I am
thrilled we are announcing support for such a fantastic group of heritage projects that will not only protect our environment but also allow more people to experience the benefits of nature across the UK. Preserving natural heritage is core to what we do, and thanks to National Lottery players, we look forward to seeing people across the UK enjoying the incredible variety that nature has to offer, and ensure that these outstanding natural sites are valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future.
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