Subject - Access to Nature

Posted : (Tuesday 10th June 2008 ) By - Jane (Registered User)

Of interest to Organisations dealing with:
Environment



Access to Nature aims to fund projects improving opportunities to access, enjoy and engage with the natural environment, particularly projects encouraging the involvement of young people, older people, black and minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities.




Eligibility:


Grant funding is available to voluntary and community organisations and statutory bodies across England.




What For?


Access to Nature is an open grants programme run by Natural England with funding from the Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme.
By 2014 Natural England want 1.7 million people to have benefited from this grant programme through improved opportunities to experience and enjoy the natural environment.



Grant funding will focus on three main themes:

* community awareness and active participation;

* education, learning and volunteering;

* welcoming, well-managed and wildlife-rich places.




Within these themes, grants will be awarded to organisations who can demonstrate that their project will deliver one or more of Access to Nature's five main outcomes:



1. A greater number and diversity of people having improved opportunities to experience the natural environment.

2. More people having opportunities for learning about the natural environment and gaining new skills.

3. More people able to enjoy the natural environment through investment in access to natural places and networks between sites.


4. Richer, more sustainably managed, natural places meeting the needs of local communities.


5. An increase in communities' sense of ownership of local natural places, by establishing strong partnerships between communities, voluntary organisations, local authorities and others.




All projects must meet outcome 5 and at least one other outcome.




How Much?


Between £50,000 and £500,000


Total Fund Value: £25,000,000


Grants will be awarded for capital and revenue projects lasting up to five years. Different levels of funding are available depending on the type of grant. In addition funding will be available for a small number of larger grants over £500,000 for projects which have a national significance or impact.




Types of Grants

Regional projects
Grants of between £50,000 and £500,000 will be awarded for projects which aim to deliver benefits at a local, regional or multi-regional level. Your project may focus on a few local sites and communities within a region, or could involve an awareness raising campaign covering a number of communities over many regions. Natural England has developed Regional Targeting Plans for each English region explaining the Access to Nature priorities in each region.




National projects
Grants of less than £500,000 will be awarded for projects which aim to address national scale issues. These projects must cover the whole of England in a thematic sense i.e. propose solutions to national scale issues and/or cover the whole of England geographically. National projects must demonstrate greater added value than a scaled up regional or multi-regional project.




Flagship projects
Within Access to Nature there is potential for organisations to apply for grant awards of over £500,000. These projects must have a national impact and significance. For further information, go to Flagship and National Projects.




Grants for land purchase and building construction
Projects which involve land and buildings purchase are eligible as long as they meet the outcomes of Access to Nature and are an essential part of your project.

Deadline
Access to Nature has a two stage application process. Natural England will acknowledge receipt within 5 working days of a fully completed form. A Regional Adviser will then contact you within 20 working days to discuss your project in more detail, and if eligible you will be invited to submit a Stage Two Application Form.

For more information please see the website