A £2m Nature Recovery Fund created by South West Water to support local community groups with a focus on the environment is now open for applications. The fund will be available across the region to deliver tangible, community-led improvements to nature and water quality.

More than 200 people have already taken part in workshops and forums and feedback gathered has helped to refine the how the fund will work in terms of priorities and how these are delivered.

Susan Davy, CEO of Pennon, said: “I’m really pleased to see the Nature Recovery Fund help turn ideas into action that will help us to support community-led projects that enhance both nature and water quality. Across the South West, my teams and I have met so many passionate people with a deep connection to the places they live, and this fund is about backing them to make a real difference. More than 200 people have already joined our briefings to share their ideas and I’m excited to see those projects come to life. By working hand in hand with local communities, we can protect and restore our rivers, landscapes and wildlife, creating lasting improvements to water quality, biodiversity, and local pride. This is another step forward in caring for the environment we all love, ensuring that our recovery is shared by nature, by people, and by place.”

 

The package will support community-led projects to boost the environment by assisting environmental partnerships across Cornwall, Devon, the Isles of Scilly and a small area of Dorset where SWW delivers wastewater services.

It is expected that some of the investment will help to expand volunteer programmes focused on grassroots biodiversity and nature conservation, to be delivered by local environmental groups.

Collaborative projects to enhance rainwater harvesting and catchment management for better bathing water quality are also planned, as well as community rainwater storage.

These schemes can help to guard against storm overflow events during heavy rainfall by temporarily diverting or storing rainwater, cutting the volume of water in sewers to more manageable levels.

Notes to editors

This new opportunity to invest in nature, water and people arises from the £24m package of enforcement measures approved by Ofwat earlier this year.  

The South West Water Nature Recovery Fund offers two levels of grants that will run in parallel with each other to support a wide range of project sizes and organisations.

  • Small grants – up to £10,000
  • Large Grants – up to £250,000

Applicants applying for these grants will first be asked to submit an Expression of Interest and will then be invited to submit a full application if the EOI is successful.

Applicants should select the grant type that best matches the scale, scope and expected outcomes of their proposed project.

Funding objectives and priorities have been shaped in partnership with local environmental stakeholders, through a workshop session during the Let’s Talk Water Stakeholder Forum held on 22nd September, as well as through a series of online briefing sessions. The input received helped to refine the fund’s priorities, language, and delivery approach.

The Nature Recovery Fund can also be used to expand existing pond creation schemes, tree planting, and other community-driven environmental projects, with funding priorities shaped in partnership with local environmental stakeholders.