East Suffolk Trust awards over £300,000 for local nature recovery

The newly-established East Suffolk Trust has awarded more than £300,000 to two community-led projects that will restore habitats, improve water quality, and help more people play an active role in protecting nature.

Founded by East Suffolk Council, Suffolk County Council, and Sizewell C, East Suffolk Trust exists to make East Suffolk the most ecologically diverse and resilient area in England. It will receive at least £78m from Sizewell C over the next 70 years.

East Suffolk Trust’s first grants will support practical projects that strengthen wildlife, improve ecological resilience and connect communities with the natural environment across Suffolk. The projects will also contribute to the delivery of Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy, helping to turn its ambitions for nature recovery into action on the ground.

Clare Matterson, Chair of East Suffolk Trust, said: “Nature recovery depends on people and organisations working together to deliver practical action on the ground. These first grants mark an important step for East Suffolk Trust, supporting projects that will make a real difference for wildlife while giving local communities a greater role in protecting and restoring the natural environment. We look forward to seeing these projects develop and to working with communities and partners across Suffolk to help nature recover.”

EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES FOR CLEANER RIVERS

River Waveney Trust has been awarded £275,000 to expand its citizen science programme across the River Waveney catchment. The project will enable local people to monitor river health, support habitat restoration, improve water quality and enhance riverside habitats for wildlife.

Martha Meek, Director at the River Waveney Trust, said: “The funding from East Suffolk Trust will enable us to expand our water quality testing programme across four important focus areas in the catchment, as well as supporting physical river restoration projects on the ground. This comes at a time when we are seeing increasing pressure on the river due to a warming climate, so improving the river’s resilience and fully understanding pressures from pollution is all the more important. We are very grateful for the support and look forward to working alongside East Suffolk Trust.”

PROTECTING SUFFOLK’S RARE CHALK GRASSLANDS

Chalkeith Conservation has secured £50,000 to protect and restore an important area of chalk grassland near Needham Market. The funding forms part of a wider collaborative project involving local partners, including local government, to improve the condition of this rare habitat and strengthen its connections with the surrounding landscape.

The site supports a rich diversity of wildflowers and insects. Over time, the project will create new wildlife corridors linking the chalk grassland with nearby areas, helping wildlife move and adapt.

William Barnes from Chalkeith Conservation said “We are incredibly grateful to East Suffolk Trust for their generous support in enabling us to acquire this scarce and threatened landscape to create a new reserve for nature and for the people of Needham Market and surrounding area.”

Together, these projects demonstrate how local action can make a lasting difference for nature by restoring habitats, improving ecological connectivity and engaging communities in conservation.

Nigel Cann, CEO of Sizewell C, said: “East Suffolk Trust is a game-changer for environmental projects in East Suffolk. It will provide guaranteed funding of £78m over at least the next 70 years, creating a lasting legacy for nature that is truly unique.

“These first grants demonstrate exactly what the trust is all about: backing local projects that harness the passion, ambition and expertise of communities to deliver meaningful improvements for the natural environment.

“We’re proud that Sizewell C is funding this important work, and excited to see the positive impact these projects will have on biodiversity across Suffolk, not just in the years ahead, but for generations to come.”

Applications for East Suffolk Trust grants are open year round. Find out more at www.eastsuffolktrust.org

About East Suffolk Trust 

Founded by East Suffolk Council, Suffolk County Council and Sizewell C, East Suffolk Trust was established to make East Suffolk England’s most ecologically diverse and climate-resilient landscape. Through its grants programme, the Trust supports practical, community-led projects that restore nature and help wildlife flourish.

East Suffolk Trust’s funding comes from Sizewell C which has committed £1.5 million annually during the construction and for the first 20 years of operation. Following that, funding will continue at £0.75 million per year for the life of the power station.