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Communities across the UK empowered to let nature flourish thanks to £5m National Lottery funding

Nextdoor Nature – a new natural legacy to mark the Queen’s Jubilee

The National Lottery Heritage Fund today announced a £5million investment in a ground-breaking initiative to create a huge matrix of community-led rewilding projects – improving the lives of people across the UK and leaving a lasting natural legacy in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The funding is part of The National Lottery’s £22million investment to mark the Jubilee.  

Delivered by by Essex Wildlife Trust, Nextdoor Nature will give people the skills, tools, and opportunity to take action for nature. This could include establishing wild habitats and green corridors in areas of nature deprivation, rewilding school grounds, or naturalising highly urbanised or unused areas. The pandemic has demonstrated just how important access to a well-cared for natural environment is to communities across the UK. 

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and research shows 85% of people in nature-deprived areas say more natural spaces would improve their quality of life. The majority also say that having access to local natural spaces is more important post-pandemic. Nextdoor Nature will enable people to make this happen and in doing so, take steps to tackle the nature and climate crisis whilst also addressing important health and wellbeing needs. 

Two young women are building bird boxes in an urban nature reserve

Building a bird box © Broni Lloyd-Edwards

Chantelle Lindsay, Dr Simon Thurley and Bobbi Benjamin-Ward walking on a woodland path

© Broni Lloyd-Edwards

Craig Bennett and Dr Simon Thurley sat on a bench having a discussion.

© Broni Lloyd-Edwards

Chantelle Lindsay and Bobbi Benjamin-Ward are sat at a picnic table building bird boxes. Cel Spellman is standing next to them also building a bird box.

© Broni Lloyd-Edwards

Dr Simon Thurley

© Broni Lloyd-Edwards

Simon Thurley, Chair of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, says: 

“As part of The National Lottery family’s £22m investment to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we are delighted to launch Nextdoor Nature, a transformational initiative which will give access to the natural environment to thousands of people who may not have fully enjoyed or appreciated it before. We hope that many people will, for the first time, get hands on with nature creating a new generation of champions for our precious natural environment.” 

Liz Bonnin

Liz Bonnin (C) Andrew Crowley

Liz Bonnin, President of The Wildlife Trusts, says: 

“We humans are key to solving the climate crisis and restoring our natural heritage. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, but Nextdoor Nature is working to set that right, putting local communities at the heart of helping our wild places to recover, and making sure that no matter where we live, we can be part of this crucial endeavour. 

“The Wildlife Trusts are firmly rooted in communities and can provide support and advice to those willing to lead the charge in bringing wildlife back to homes and workplaces – in turn inspiring those around them to do the same. we can achieve incredible things when we work together!” 

Danielle Carbott - Urban Engagement Officer

Danielle Carbott, Urban Engagement Officer for Essex Wildlife Trust, says:

“Nextdoor Nature will help to increase Essex Wildlife’s Trusts capacity to deliver community organising across more areas in Essex. Alongside the Trust’s recently launched Urban Wildlife Champions project and the Trust’s soon to launch Wilder Towns, Wilder Villages project, Nextdoor Nature will help us to empower as many people as possible to champion wildlife wherever they live!”

National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Queen's Platinum Jubilee and The Wildlife Trusts logos sit side by side

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