Grants and Community News for 9 June 2023

North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – Sustainable Development Fund

Grants for People, Nature, Heritage and Climate are available for projects to be carried out by the end of January 2024.

The grant scheme is open to community groups, schools, businesses and parishes with grants of up to £4,000 for projects within the coastal parishes of the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in North Devon and Torridge.

The fund is supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DeFRA). Its purpose is to help deliver the policies and actions in the AONB Management Plan.  Last year, 12 new projects were funded with grants averaging £1,800 matched with cash and in-kind time.  Supported projects must have an environmental, community, economic or social benefit or connect people with the landscape, heritage and nature of the AONB.

The 14 eligible parishes this grant scheme covers are:

• Abbotsham
• Alwington
• Berrynarbor
• Braunton
• Clovelly
• Combe Martin
• Geoergeham & Croyde
• Hartland
• Ilfracombe
• Mortehoe & Woolacombe
• Northam & Westward Ho!
• Welcombe
• West Down
• Woolsery

You can find a full list of successful projects from last year as well as information on how to apply at the North Devon AONB website.  For an informal chat contact Laura Carolan on 01271 388268 or email aonb@devon.gov.uk

Landscape Recovery Scheme – application deadline 21 September 2023

£15 million is available for the second round of the Government’s Landscape Recovery scheme which supports landscape and ecosystem recovery through long-term projects. Three Devon projects were successful in the first round of the scheme: East Dartmoor; Killerton Three Rivers; and the Axe Landscape Partnership.

Landscape Recovery forms part of the Environmental Land Management Scheme, together with the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship.

The scheme represents a new approach to supporting long-term, significant habitat restoration and land use change, with the aim of delivering a range of outcomes, focussing on net zero, biodiversity and water quality.

For Round Two, the funding is for projects that support net zero, protected sites, and wildlife-rich habitat.

Landscape Recovery is open to all private land managers and landowners, either individually or as part of a group. Your project must be on a broadly connected area of at least 500 hectares (ha) in England.

If successful, you will be awarded project development funding over two years. The aim is to progress to the implementation of the project over a 20-year period.

For full guidance and the criteria for applying, visit the GOV.UK website

Community Ownership Fund – Department for Levelling UP, Housing and Communities

The government is providing £150 million over 4 years to support community groups in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets and amenities at risk of being lost.

Voluntary and community groups can bid for funding to acquire important assets and run them for the benefit of the local community.

The Fund will run until March 2025 with regular bidding windows for applicants to submit a full application to the Fund.

An updated prospectus for the Fund was launched on 12 May 2023 and the current bidding window for round 3 closes at midday on 12 July 2023.

Information on how to create a strong application as well as links to the prospectus for the fund can be found on the GOV.UK website.