Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fund for Nature – Guidance for Applicants

What is the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fund for Nature?

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fund for Nature is a revolving fund to deliver enhancements in nature in line with the ambition to double the quality and quantity of rich wildlife habitats and natural green space, and improve access to them in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The Fund was established through a grant from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and is managed by Natural Cambridgeshire, the Local Nature Partnership for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

What the Fund supports

The Fund will support large projects that attract external investment, that can create a stream of revenue and ideally be financially self-sustaining, with an ability to return and revolve the capital back into the Fund and thereby enable it to fund further projects. There will also be a focus on financial innovation, increasing the benefits that projects deliver, such as climate-change mitigation and adaptation, health and wellbeing, prosperity, flood prevention, and/or water quality and retention, and learning how to put a value on these benefits. Interest free loans of up to 7 years, with interest from 7 to 10 years are available in this round.

Why it matters

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are home to some of the UK’s most treasured natural environments but face significant challenges such as habitat loss and reduced biodiversity. The Fund provides a vital opportunity to support landscape projects that create lasting benefits for nature and communities alike.

Who can apply?

Expressions of Interest are welcome from:

  • Landowners and farmers integrating productive land use with biodiversity goals.
  • Local authorities and public bodies enhancing community green spaces.
  • Conservation organisations planning large-scale habitat restoration projects.

Larger projects will be prioritised, with repayable funding of up to £300,000 available. Projects must match funding from other sources and demonstrate potential to leverage further investment or generate revenue.

How to apply

Expressions of interest to be received on the attached form by email not later than midnight on Monday 24th March 2025.

  • The Expression of Interest Form can be downloaded here.
  • The Guidance for Applicants can be downloaded here.

Full applications from those chosen will be invited in April 2025, to be received by 18 June 2024. Funding agreements will be issued to those selected by 30 September 2025. Projects to begin work no later than January 2026. This process will be repeated every six months until the Fund is exhausted.

Webinar recording and slides

On 11 February 2025 we hosted a webinar for potential applicants which can be viewed here.

The slides from the webinar can be downloaded here.

Further information

Please email fund@naturalcambridgeshire.org.uk.

Second funding round opens soon for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fund for Nature

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fund for Nature is to launch a second funding round, opening its Call for Expressions of Interest on Tuesday 4th February 2025. The Fund aims to enhance biodiversity and increase access to natural green spaces, aligning with the ambition to double the quantity and quality of wildlife habitats in the region.

Why it matters

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are home to some of the UK’s most treasured natural environments but face significant challenges such as habitat loss and reduced biodiversity. The Fund provides a vital opportunity to support landscape projects that create lasting benefits for nature and communities alike.

Who can apply?

Expressions of Interest are welcome from:
• Landowners and farmers integrating productive land use with biodiversity goals.
• Local authorities and public bodies enhancing community green spaces.
• Conservation organisations planning large-scale habitat restoration projects.

What the Fund supports

The Fund focuses on projects that:

• Attract external investment.
• Generate sustainable revenue and aim to be financially self-sustaining.
• Deliver measurable benefits like climate change adaptation, health improvements, flood prevention, and water quality enhancement.

Larger projects will be prioritised, with repayable funding of up to £300,000 available. Projects must match funding from other sources and demonstrate potential to leverage further investment or generate revenue.

How to find out more

A webinar for prospective applicants will take place on Tuesday, 11th February, 2:00–3:30 PM, featuring updates on the first approved project, the Fleam Dyke Project, and guidance for the upcoming funding round.

Register here: https://shorturl.at/bYxcq

Matthew Bullock, Trustee of Natural Cambridgeshire and Chair of the Fund for Nature Committee, said:

“The Fund for Nature is focusing on large-scale projects to help farmers and landowners create habitats that support diverse species and restore wildlife in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. It offers capital for these projects, which must be self-sustaining, matched by other contributions, and repayable. The goal is to promote the use of Green Finance, including biodiversity, woodland, carbon, and water credits, to help double Nature’s footprint in the region.”

About the Fund

The Fund was established through a grant from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and is managed by Natural Cambridgeshire.

How to apply

Guidance for Applicants and an Expression of Interest form will be published on 4th February.

For further information

Email: fund@naturalcambridgeshire.org.uk

 

Photo: Fleam Dyke nr Balsham, Cambridgeshire. Credit: Wildlife Trust BCN.

Communities across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are sowing the seeds for nature’s recovery!

Thirteen projects from across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are the first to receive a small grant from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fund for Nature in endeavours to ‘Double Nature’ where they live. From Wisbech in the north of the county to Shepreth and in south, community groups, environmental charities, churches, schools and Parish Councils are taking forward projects for the benefit of nature and people with funds which have been provided by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

Projects include: the creation of a community garden in an inner city area; the development of a wetland area for education and biodiversity in a community orchard; tree-planting adjacent to the River Great Ouse; a tern raft in a country park; native orchid planting in a village wildflower area; and the installation of bird nesting boxes, feeding stations and insect boxes to encourage biodiversity in a school’s grounds.

The Fund for Nature has been enabled with funding from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, with the fund being managed by Natural Cambridgeshire, the Local Nature Partnership for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, working in partnership with the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, who are experts in local grant giving.

Grants of up to £5000 are available for local groups for capital items that will enable them to double nature on their doorstep. Applications that were submitted to the second round will be announced shortly. Further rounds are dependent on the availability of funding.

Natural Cambridgeshire’s Chair, Martin Doel said: “We are immensely grateful to the CPCA for recognising the importance of local actions in achieving our shared ambitions for doubling nature. Local groups have a vital role to play in helping to create places where both nature and people can thrive, and we look forward to being able to encourage more communities to take more action for nature where they live in the future.”

Cambridgeshire Community Foundation’s Director, Michael O’Toole said: “The Fund for Nature is enabling transformative local action for nature – from inner-city gardens to wetland development. The supported projects demonstrate just how passionate our communities are about protecting and enhancing nature right on their doorstep. Our expertise in local grant-giving, combined with Natural Cambridgeshire’s environmental leadership, means we can efficiently channel funding to where it will have the greatest impact for both nature and people.”

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s Mayor, Dr Nik Johnson said: “It’s inspiring to see the Fund for Nature supporting local biodiversity projects across the region, helping them take root and grow. This is exactly the kind of grassroots action needed to achieve our vision of doubling natural green-spaces and areas of rich wildlife.”

If you wish to find out about how to do more for nature where you live, or if you wish to make a donation to the Fund for Nature to support community-led nature recovery projects, please email fund@naturalcambridgeshire.org.uk.

Photo: Wisbech Street Pride volunteers were awarded a grant to create a bee and butterfly garden which will enhance habitats for nature in urban Wisbech.



Making gains for nature in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

At Natural Cambridgeshire’s quarterly Partnership Forum in September, the first three projects selected to benefit from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s £1 million Fund for Nature were presented to the online forum of over one hundred individuals and representatives of groups interested in the natural environment from around the county.

Natural Cambridgeshire’s new chair Professor Martin Doel OBE welcomed Mayor Dr Nik Johnson as the first speaker, who provided an update on the CPCA’s commitments and ambitions for climate and the environment. The first landscape scale projects to benefit from the Fund for Nature were described: Fleam Dyke Habitat Bank, Priory Farm Project, Needingworth and Rewilding Coton Countryside Reserve.

Local Haddon-based farmer Tom Martin explained why farmers care about nature, and we heard about the Fund for Nature small grants scheme which will be launched soon to enable communities to do more for nature where they live.

The Forum were also updated on progress towards the development a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and the opportunities this strategy provides for further defining, accelerating and progressing our doubling nature ambitions.

Professor Martin Doel said: “This is a critical time for nature in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with the county facing threats to our biodiversity and the impacts of climate change. For our scale of population, we also have one of the smallest proportions of land managed for nature across the country; and this impacts not just on nature, but also on people’s opportunities to access it, and the benefits we know that can provide to mental and physical health and wellbeing.”

“But with the projects Natural Cambridgeshire are taking forward, and the strong partnership we have in bringing together key influencers, advocates and delivery partners, we also have a unique opportunity now to drive forward our ambition to double the amount of space managed for nature, and connect those spaces and places for the benefit of all. I am both excited and humbled by challenges ahead in this role, and deeply grateful to have a strong team and committed Trustees to work with as we take our vision into delivery.”

Mayor Dr Nik Johnson said: “As an especially vulnerable low-lying area, with one of the lowest proportions of wildlife and greenspace managed for nature in the UK, the need to restore our depleted natural capital whilst tackling the climate emergency is undeniable. By investing in nature and exploring innovative solutions we can safeguard what we have, and create opportunities for good growth, skilled jobs, and sustainable development. The Fund for Nature projects announced at September’s Partnership Forum represent a significant step forward for our collective efforts in this vital work, and I congratulate the selected candidates whose efforts will no doubt have hugely beneficial impacts across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.”

Photo: Fleam Dyke. Photo credit: Nik Shelton

Small grants scheme for community nature projects now open!

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fund for Nature has been established by a generous grant from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and is being managed by Natural Cambridgeshire. Working in partnership with the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, a small capital grants scheme offering up to £5,000 per grant has been launched to enable communities across the county to improve nature where they live.

The Fund is inviting applications for nature projects that will do one or more of the following:

  • increase biodiversity and key wildlife habitats;
  • increase community cohesion by helping local people to understand, appreciate and enjoy their natural spaces more;
  • promote public health and wellbeing;
  • create resilient countryside and communities, where nature is at the heart of the approach to addressing climate change;
  • champion examples of best practice for sustainable development and management of green open space.

The deadline for the first round is 1st November 2023; the deadline for the second round will be 1st May 2024.

For further details on eligibility and how to apply for a grant please visit Cambridgeshire Community Foundation’s application portal which can be found here, or email info@cambscf.org.uk for further guidance.

If you would like to make a donation to augment the funds available to support community-led local nature recovery projects in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, including for a specific geographical area or for a particular habitat type or species, please email fund@naturalcambridgeshire.org.uk and we would be happy to discuss this further with you.

Photo: Teachers and pupils of Wheatfields School, St Ives, volunteers from St Ives in Bloom and St Ives EcoAction, and Huntingdonshire District Council’s Grounds Team working in partnership to sow wildflower mix on Wheatfields Recreation area near Wheatfields School, St Ives, Spring 2022. Credit: St Ives EcoAction

New Chair to drive Doubling Nature in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

Natural Cambridgeshire  has announced Professor Martin Doel CBE as its new Chair. Martin, who takes over following the eight year stint of former Chair Richard Astle, does so at a critical time for the organisation as it takes forward major projects for the County, including:

  • The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fund for Nature which will provide £1m to deliver sustainable nature projects across our nature-depleted county, including support for large landscape-scale natural capital projects alongside capital funding for small-scale community nature projects. The funding will also leverage in additional private, public and charitable funding committed across the priority landscape areas identified by Natural Cambridgeshire.
  • The Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, which Natural Cambridgeshire have been asked by Cambridgeshire County Council to support the creation of as the Council undertakes this commission on behalf of the CPCA; and where Natural Cambridgeshire will play a lead role in engaging landowners, developers and communities in connecting up key habitats and supporting species recovery across the County and beyond.

Natural Cambridgeshire brings together key natural environment partners from government departments and local authorities, to environmental charities such as the Wildlife Trust and RSPB, to landowners and farmers, to work with a common aim of putting nature at the heart of the county, and doubling the amount of land managed for nature in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Martin said:

“This is a critical time for nature in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with the county facing threats to our biodiversity and the impacts of climate change. For our scale of population, we also have one of the smallest proportions of land managed for nature across the country; and this impacts not just on nature, but also on people’s opportunities to access it, and the benefits we know that can provide to mental and physical health and wellbeing.”

“But with the projects Natural Cambridgeshire are taking forward, and the strong partnership we have in bringing together key influencers, advocates and delivery partners, we also have a unique opportunity now to drive forward our ambition to double the amount of space managed for nature, and connect those spaces and places for the benefit of all. I am both excited and humbled by challenges ahead in this role, and deeply grateful to have a strong team and committed Trustees to work with as we take our vision into delivery”.

Martin joins Natural Cambridgeshire with a wealth of experience from a career in the RAF serving at Wyton, Brampton and Henlow, before becoming Director of Training Policy for all three armed forces. On leaving the RAF, he took up the role of Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, representing and supporting further education colleges across the UK. In 2016 he was appointed as the first professor of leadership in further education and skills at the Institute for Education University College London, where he now has visiting professor status. In 1998 he was appointed OBE in recognition of his support to operations in the Balkans and his contribution to Anglo-German relations, and in 2016 as appointed CBE for his service to further and higher education. Having served in various national roles, Martin is now keen to drive forward Natural Cambridgeshire’s commitments to the place in which he and his family have made their home for more than 30 years.

Martin’s first role will be to Chair Natural Cambridgeshire’s Partnership Forum on 13th September which brings together the organisation’s wider stakeholders to explore issues and progress, and Mayor Nik Johnson will talk about the Combined Authority’s commitment to nature. Martin will formally take over as Chair at Natural Cambridgeshire’s October Board meeting. Richard Astle will continue to serve on the Board as a Trustee.

We are seeking a dynamic new Chair!

We are looking to appoint a vibrant new Chair to lead the Natural Cambridgeshire board and the organisation as it works towards doubling nature across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Natural Cambridgeshire recently secured funding from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to deliver shared nature recovery objectives through the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fund for Nature. This aims to increase and enhance key wildlife habitats, promote the benefits of natural spaces, create resilient countryside and communities, and champion best practice for sustainable development and management of parks and green open space.

This new funding programme, and the strong partnership that underpins it, makes this a transformative time for Natural Cambridgeshire and the new Chair will be at the heart of taking forward these vital agendas locally, as well as representing the Partnership nationally.

Rebecca Britton, a trustee for Natural Cambridgeshire, and Chair of the Developing with Nature Forum said: “The role of Natural Cambridgeshire is evolving and growing, and our local nature partnership is looking for a dynamic new Chair to lead the Board and the organisation as it works to realise its vision.  This is a really exciting time for the organisation, and we look forward to hearing from potential candidates.”

Application process: CVs with a covering letter explaining why you feel you are suitable for this role (no more than 2 sides of A4) should be sent to recruitment@naturalcambridgeshire.org.uk no later than 5pm on Friday, 27th May 2023.

Remuneration: While this role is unremunerated, reasonable local expenses will be considered.

If you have any questions about the role, or would welcome a discussion about the role, please email either trustee, Rebecca Britton (rbritton@urbanandcivic.com) or Partnership Director, Pamela Abbott (pamela.abbott@naturalcambridgeshire.org.uk).

Further details about the role, including a role description and person specification, can be found here.

Government guidelines for Local Nature Recovery Strategies published

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are a key component of the Environment Act 2021. Their aim is to set out how to deliver nature recovery across England; to help planning authorities incorporate nature recovery objectives; to support the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain; and to help deliver our national environmental targets.

The LNRS responsible authority (RA) for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, which has contracted the responsibility to develop the LNRS to Cambridgeshire County Council, working in partnership with Natural Cambridgeshire. Together, taking an evidence-based approach, we will work with partners across the county to secure cross-sectoral support, build a shared vision for nature recovery, seek to embed that vision into local policies and identify the barriers and opportunities to mobilise action for nature across our area.

Further to an initial scoping exercise in late 2022/early 2023, from April 2023 Natural Cambridgeshire working with Cambridgeshire County Council will be convening partners and communities to help to shape and develop the LNRS for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. We look forward to engaging with all of our stakeholders further then.

The Guidance and Regulations for LNRS were published by Defra on 23 March 2023.  This summary factsheet which includes links to the official documents is a quick and easy read (2 minutes), or alternatively go straight to the official documents here: The Environment (Local Nature Recovery Strategies) (Procedure) Regulations 2023, and Local Nature Recovery Strategy Statutory Guidance. 

Natural Cambridgeshire joins Fenland Volunteers to celebrate community achievements!

Natural Cambridgeshire was delighted to join Fenland District Council’s annual Celebration Evening on 13thOctober 2022 when local volunteer groups including Street Pride, In Bloom, Friends, and Getting It Sorted Recycling came together to celebrate their collective achievements.

The Covid pandemic meant the event couldn’t go ahead in 2020, and a much-reduced event in 2021 meant that there was much to shout about. With the Braza Club in March as the venue, the Fenland District Council brought together more than 80 environmental volunteers to show its appreciation for all the efforts that have contributed to strengthening local pride and building community over in the last 12 months.

The evening included a welcome address from Cllr Peter Murphy, the Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, and an Awards Ceremony with the presentation of seven awards for the best projects over the year.

Helen Dye, of Natural Cambridgeshire, spoke about the support on offer from the Partnership, the potential of nature projects to enhance where we live, and what communities are achieving across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. There was live music from 50s Rock ‘n’ Roll band, The Summertime Kings, and catering by Rob’s Kitchen.

Cllr Murphy said: “It was an absolute pleasure to recognise the continued efforts of volunteers who give their time, energy, and enthusiasm to making Fenland a great place to live and work. Together, they strive hard to improve our environment, street scene, green spaces, and recycling across the district.

Helen Dye said: “Volunteering matters, as much as nature matters, and when the two combine just think how much we can achieve for people and planet. The achievements of the people of Fenland are awesome, so let’s see how we can Double Nature in Fenland together!”

More information about the projects and groups that won awards can be found here.

Great Ouse Valley takes first steps towards developing a shared vision for a living landscape!

On Friday 8th September, the Great Ouse Valley Trust hosted a workshop at Hemingford Abbots Village Hall for local stakeholders to begin to tease out a vision for the stretch of the Great Ouse Valley between St Ives and Godmanchester. Over 40 people took part including local farmers and landowners, parish and district council officers, representatives of local community and sports groups and environmental organisations, as well as subject matter experts in fields such as ecology and conservation. Guest of honour, and resident of the Great Ouse Valley near St Neots, included Combined Authority Mayor, Dr Nik Johnson, who contributed to the visioning process and activities. The workshop was delivered by Dr Jade Gunnell, a specialist in citizen science, and who has been working with Great Ouse Valley Trust trustees on a strategy to engage the community in developing a joined-up and cohesive vision for the valley that prioritises nature and leads to increasing the nature value of the wildlife and habitats on our doorstep.

The event was felt to be vibrant and productive, with insights and outputs from the day being drawn together to form a report over the forthcoming weeks that will be shared with all those who participated and wider partnership stakeholders to inform further actions and priorities for the Valley.

The workshop was enabled with support from Natural Cambridgeshire and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Future Parks Programme, and with grant funds from Natural England and a Together for our Planet award from the National Lottery Community Fund. The Great Ouse Valley is one of six priority landscapes identified by Natural Cambridgeshire to be targeted for increased investment because of its unique value to Cambridgeshire’s natural environment and the ecosystem services it provides. The Great Ouse Valley Partnership was formed in 2021 to bring together the interests of the nature and heritage organisations, community groups, farmers and landowners and local authorities and others to support the development of a vision for the area, and is chaired by RSPB’s Hannah Phillips.

Photo credit: Emily Dalziel, Great Ouse Valley Trust