The National Lottery Community Fund
The National Lottery – and with it National Lottery funding for Good Causes – was established in 1994. Every ticket sold contributes funds to good causes across the UK and most people will have benefitted from a National Lottery-funded project at some point.
The National Lottery Community Fund is one of 12 distributors for The National Lottery and is one of the largest funders of community activity in the UK. By 2030, they will have shared over £4 billion to create stronger, fairer communities across the UK.
They fund community projects that help people connect, grow and build a better future and focus on supporting people facing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination.
National Lottery funding has helped Wildlife Trusts to achieve many amazing things for people and wildlife over the years.
I have become so much more resilient knowing that I can do things I never thought I would have even had the opportunity to do
Rockpooling © Tees Valley Wildlife Trust
Dissecting owl pellets © Tees Valley Wildlife Trust
A survey on a brook © Herefordshire Wildlife Trust
How The National Lottery Community Fund supports Wildlife Trusts to make a difference
200 fantastic projects have been delivered by 40 Wildlife Trusts across the UK, all made possible with funding from the The National Lottery Community Fund (previously known as Big Lottery fund). The projects have brought benefits to thousands of people of all ages, from all walks of life whilst also benefitting the wildlife and its surrounding habitat – an amazing achievement!
Projects include:
- inspiring people to learn life skills through nature
- creating community green spaces for local people to meet and share interests
- woodland therapy to address mental health issues
- turning a derelict piece of land into a traditional wildflower meadow for local people to enjoy and wildlife to flourish.
Here are just a few examples of the many projects currently being run by Wildlife Trusts, supported by The National Lottery Community Fund.
Berks, Bucks and Oxfordshire
Connecting communities
The Community Network engages and supports community action groups for wildlife formed and run independently of Berks, Bucks and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) to carry out conservation projects themselves.
It also provides the vital next step for communities engaged by previous BBOWT community projects once the fixed term project ends.
Through the Network, BBOWT provides a platform through which participants can share knowledge and experience, access training toolkits and support others in creating shared solutions to challenges across the three counties.
Cheshire
Community tree nurseries
This project will strengthen Cheshire’s climate resilience and biodiversity by developing a network of community tree nurseries and training local people to grow native, locally sourced and climate-resilient trees.
Cheshire Wildlife Trust aims to connect and support several existing and emerging community nurseries:
- Macclesfield Community Tree Nursery, already established, seeks to professionalise operations and improve provenance compliance.
- Congleton, Knutsford, and Wirral nurseries are in early stages. We will provide training in volunteer recruitment, seed collection, propagation, and fundraising.
- In Sandbach, a new group is ready to launch a nursery, and we will support them throughout the start-up process.
This project will run for 24 months, providing practical guidance, training and a collaborative network. It will empower local communities to grow native trees at scale, fostering long-term engagement with nature and climate action.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight
Reaching Communities enables Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to support people in communities to come together to take action for nature and improve the places that matter to them, in ways they feel are important.
Activities focus on what they care about, whether creating pleasant places for people, improving habitats for wildlife, or campaigning for nature. The team offer guidance, advice, introductions to potential collaborators, and practical support like help with planting and ecological advice.
The Greening Campaign
Since 2007, the Greening Campaign has worked with over 200 communities across Hampshire to address climate mitigation, adaptation and to become more resilient.
Leading on one of the five pillars of work, Spaces for Nature, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlie Trust are a delivery partner empowering local communities to take meaningful action for nature, strengthening community relationships, improving local environments, and driving social and cultural change.
Herefordshire
Wye Adapt to Climate Change
This is a three-year partnership with Radnorshire Wildlife Trust and Wye Valley National Landscape to advise farmers and landowners along the River Wye and its tributaries on land management practices, natural flood management and nature-based solutions.
The project aims to raise awareness of climate change with communities and identify solutions to the climate crisis we are currently facing. The Trust has additional match funding to support capital interventions such as attenuation ponds, tree planting and leaky dams.
WildPlay Thinks Differently
This is a one year project running nature-based outdoor play sessions at Queenswood Country Park for children with special educational needs (primarily those who are neurodivergent).
Herefordshire Wildlife Trust aim to support up to 30 children who will have the opportunity to make friends, have fun in nature, learn new skills, try new things, and build confidence. Activities include using tools, lighting a fire, outdoor cooking, den building, birdwatching, searching for natural treasures and making natural materials. Children will also experience mindfulness exercises and learn about nature and wildlife.
Pond dipping © Herefordshire Wildlife Trust
Tees Valley
All Our Futures
All Our Futures is a partnership between Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, The Junction Foundation, and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, and is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.
The project's mission is to increase local awareness of environmental issues and empower communities to make a difference, reigniting their connection to urban, coastal, and rural environments and wildlife.
Wiltshire
Swindon Wellbeing
This Wiltshire Wildlife Trust project encourages meaningful connections by bringing together individuals who may be experiencing social isolation, poor mental health, or disconnection from their local community.
Through shared outdoor activities such as conservation work, community gardening, and creative nature-based projects, participants build relationships with one another and form a supportive network.
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