The Naturesave Trust has been funding environmental charity projects since 1995. Grants have been awarded to almost five hundred individual projects, covering renewable energy, nature conservation, the circular economy, sustainable food and social welfare.
Below is a selection of projects recently funded by the Trust, a complete list of projects can be viewed at the end of this page.
The grant from the Naturesave Trust has funded Refactory boxes in Practices across Cornwall....
The grant from the Naturesave Trust has funded reusable coil-fitting equipment at a GP surgery in Penryn...
The grant from the Naturesave Trust has funded a scheme to reduce plastic and reuse materials...
The grant from the Naturesave Trust has funded reusable cups for the Festival....
The grant from the Naturesave Trust has funded a cargo bike and the training of volunteer to collect surplus food....
The grant from the Naturesave Trust has funded a sensory garden for women and children recovering from trauma...
The Naturesave Trust has been funding projects since 1995, here is a list of (most) of them starting with the most recent.
Chirk Bank Community Allotment – Chirk bank is a community that includes the Chirk Aqueduct an is a world heritage site. The trust funded a small project to create allotments and a community garden with a focus on disabled access.
Transition Town Totnes Incredible Edible Project – Incredible Edible also aims to engage the local community in growing food and providing education about, and connection to the local environment. The grant provided enabled Totnes Transition Town to provide their volunteer teams with much-needed tools, equipment, seeds and plants which will be used to maintain existing growing sites and also construct a new site at Totnes Train station.
Wimborne First School Pollinator Planting Project. – The Trust provided a series of planters around the school to increase biodiversity on school grounds and to provide an educational tool that ties in with the curriculum.
Thyme and Space, Greenlinks Project. – The Greenlinks project is a vegetable growing project that also runs horticulture workshops. The project provides a place of haven and inspiration to people who are facing mental health challenges.
Green Wedmore Community Woodlands – The Naturesave Trust, together with Somerset County Council and the Woodland Trust provided funding for the creation of a community woodland and orchard in Somerset. The site will provide a valuable outside amenity for the community, improve local biodiversity, combat climate change and provide a source of renewable fuel.
Eco Lodge, Oak Grove College – This grant from Trust helped the college address the needs of a growing student population by constructing a new science classroom where the building itself inspires and excites the students into learning about science and the environment.
Food Top Trumps, Science 4 Society Week – Science4Society Week is a collection of science education activities, coordinated by Scientists for Global Responsibility, and designed to inspire young people. The Trust provided grant funding to develop a set of Food Trump cards that can be used to compare carbon footprints, water footprints and nutritional information about everyday foods in a novel way.
Puritan Primary School – Wildlife Area Redevelopment.
Community Supported Agriculture – Funding for an A-Z Guide for this partnership between farmers and consumers in which the responsibilities, risks and rewards of farming are shared.
Bumblebee Trust – Funding West Country Buzz project to support farmers/landowners to adopt pollinator-friendly farming practices, helping to increase wild pollinators on their farms and across the landscape.
St Michael’s Primary, Aylsham – Funding for the rejuvenation of the school pond, one of St Michael’s key assets. The pond benefits children in terms of their knowledge and understanding of the natural world, as well as health and well-being.
Hornsea Nursery School – Funding for the school’s outdoor nature project.
Cheese Project – The Trust provided a £1,000 grant to purchase new equipment for this innovative project in Bristol that aims to reduce domestic energy losses by up to a third. The project went on to win a Community Energy and Carbon Saving Award for ‘The most inspiring energy conservation and/or management project’.
Hope Housing, Space to Grow – The Trust assisted this homeless charity in the development of a garden to grow fruit and vegetables for vulnerable adults.
Monmounthshire Upcycle, Making Furniture Go Further – Funding for the purchase of tools and equipment to help them this volunteer group save more furniture from landfill.
Nailsworth & Horsley Bee Friendly Town – Support for the Nailsworth Bee Friendly Town Project which aims to encourage pollinators and enhance the town’s environment.
Keir’s Meadow Pond Restoration Funding for the restoration of a wildlife pond to providing a home for local wildlife and allow local children and the Blean Pre-School to visit and learn about pond ecology.
Black Bee Combe Financial support to help re-establish locally adapted “black” native honey bees in South Devon.
Orchardshare Grants provided to a community group that manages three orchards near Bath.
Greater Manchester Community Renewables The Trust provided funds to enable GMCR to launch a community share offer to raise money for more solar installations. GMCR needed to check that the sites are suitable e.g. by commissioning a structural survey of the roof, and doing legal due diligence on the properties before they entered into a lease of the roof.
Merry Go Round School The Trust provided funding for the school’s new pond area.
Hunters Hill School Match-funding towards a growing space on the school farm.
Our Lady & St Hubert’s Primary – Outdoor Learning Area The Naturesave Trust funded a project to help the school make the trees and land of an outdoor learning area safe and accessible for all. Felled trees were then used to make a herb garden, seated areas, climbing areas and paths.
PEC Renewables Biomass Project Funding towards the cost of a biomass project for Plymouth Energy Community.
South Dartmoor Community Energy Grant to help the organisation promote the services of the energy advice team so that they can reach as many people as possible with their support and advice.
St John’s Catholic Primary School TBC
Wild Futures – Monkey Sanctuary Funds were provided for the refurbishment of a wildlife room at the Sanctuary in Cornwall.
Saffron Heath Pond Project Financial assistance to the Saffron Lane Neighbourhood Council for the creation of a pond dipping platform.
John Ruskin School – It’s a Bug’s Life project This project enabled an inner-city school to create a wildlife pond and bog garden so the children have the opportunity to observe diverse ecology.
National Star The Trust contributed £1,500 towards National Star’s Outdoor Area Project, in Hereford, to convert a derelict outdoor area into a vibrant outdoor learning space for young people with complex disabilities.
Collingwood Media College The Trust provided funding for significant improvements to the lower school garden area.
*St Andrews Primary School, Stanstead Abbotts The Trust provided funding for a Forest schools initiative to promote outside learning, teamwork and risk-taking, where children learn craft skills such as making fires, campfire cooking and den building.
*Earth Restoration Project Support for the School Tree Nurseries Programme helping school children to learn about the environment and to plant trees in order to restore local degraded habitats.
*Growing Devon Schools Funding for interactive and informative sessions to give teachers, TA’s and other members of the school community a chance to share ideas and concerns with each other and also with industry professionals.
*Totnes Eco-homes event Funding for a free and impartial energy advice session, hosted by South Dartmoor Community Energy to support Totnes Transition Town’s ‘Keeping Totnes Warm project’
*Sheffield Renewables 500 – Share purchase for community energy project
Caring for Life – pond redevelopment providing funding to plant up the series of small ponds and connecting waterway with reeds and water mint for this Leeds based charity that supports vulnerable people.
Foxhole Community Wildlife & Wildflower pond – The Trust provided funding to create an accessible wildlife and wildflower community pond.
Brendon Energy Coop – Promotion The Trust provided grant aid to Brendon Energy to help publicise the co-op and its development.
SWIMBY – The Musical Something Wonderful in My Back Yard, is a crowd-funded musical by Regen SW. The Trust provided funds to publish the accompanying songbook.
Ynni Ogwen Cyf Hydro The Trust invested in this Welsh hydro project to capture the power from the Ogwen river to produce Electrical energy from Hydro technology. The profit gained from this venture will fund other environmental and community projects in the Ogwen Valley
Brendon Orchards Cooperative – The Naturesave grant enabled the coop to purchase a pump to speed up bottling operations and a new press that will allow them to cover the growing demand.
Killington & District Sustainable Energy Early stage funding for a community hydro project in Killington near Sedbergh, Cumbria.
Brighton Permaculture Trust – Fruit Factory Every year within 25 miles of Brighton, hundreds of tonnes of fruit go unpicked or never leave an orchard, and yet we import truckloads of it from all around the world. The Trust helped with funding for new juicing and pasteurising equipment.
Energy Local – SWELL Project This project is designed to schedule electrical appliances (in particular storage heaters and water heaters) in order to ‘match’ local demand with local solar generation and ‘shift’ electricity usage into low price periods. The trust provided early-stage capital investment.
Garden Classrooms – Wonderful World of Bees A charity that provides urban children and adults with transformative outdoor experiences devised to encourage active lifestyles, promote self-discovery, inspire growth and stimulate respect for nature.
Ormiston Denes Forest School- Forest School Funding provided to set up a forest school in order for us to hold fortnightly enrichment sessions with the aim of reconnecting young people with the natural world. The Trusts £850 grant was used to purchase the equipment necessary for the Forest School sessions to take place all year round.
Trinity Community Arts – The Trust provided £1,000 to The historic Trinity Centre in Bristol, to assist with an investment in roof-mounted solar PV.
Isle Of Wight Red Squirrel Trust – Habitat Creation The Trust offered a grant with which to buy the tools and equipment necessary to begin woodland management to improve Red Squirrel habitats.
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust – Guphill Brook Restoration Urban river restoration in partnership with the Environment Agency, Coventry City Council and The Naturesave Trust. The project will bring multiple benefits to diminishing wildlife, deprived local communities, and provide flood risk reduction.
Fareshare – Expanding Across Merseyside Fareshare rescues food that is all in-date and good quality but has become surplus to requirements. The funding gave FareShare the capacity to increase the number of charities they support from 176 to over 200 by widening their geographical reach across the region to feed more hungry people.
Snug – affordable and environmentally-friendly homes The Trust provided a grant towards the cost of tools for the first SNUG prototype.
Pentredwr Community Centre – Solar Panels A donation of £500 towards the cost of installing solar panels on this community centre.
Wildwood Pond Renovation Funding for a Pond Preservation Project to develop the area around two natural ponds within Wildwood, to allow visitors to explore a natural freshwater habitat and learn about the species it supports in a fun and exciting way.
Corwen Electricity Cooperative Financial support for a community project to build a 55kW Pelton turbine close to the centre of Corwen
Reading Sustainability Centre – Hydro Project Financial assistance for start-up costs and work towards gaining permissions for the project
Mayflower Theatre LED Lighting – The Trust provided funding to the theatre to install LED lighting, which reduced their carbon emissions by 90%.
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust – Value in Trees Match funding for a three-year project helping to safeguard the future of the county’s veteran trees.
Hunter’s Bar School Association Solar Panels – Part funding for a solar array installed at Hunters Bar Infant School.
Ysgol Esgob Morgan School – Growing for Gold Small project to assist the school to create an Eco Club, which included a secure chicken enclosure.
Plan Bee – School Legacy Project Green Legacy project is to encourage children from primary/secondary schools in the UK to engage with biodiversity and understand the importance of the bees in a creative and engaging manner.
Trees For Health Part funding for materials and equipment for a turf roof shelter and pond for an agroforestry project at this small non-profit-making group based in South Devon.
Trees For Life – Nursery Expansion – Funding for a new polytunnel to help Trees For Life propagate homegrown native British trees.
Bath Green Homes Project Sponsorship of Transition Bath and Bath: Hacked‘s innovative web-based Schools Energy Education Programme – Energy Sparks.
Low Carbon Gordano – Share Purchase The Trust invested in share in this community project, with the aim of helping to develop community-owned renewable energy generation
Fareshare London – Food Access Project Funding assistance to enable Fareshare London to expand its capacity by redistributing food for over 1.5 million meals, saving precious resources from being unnecessarily wasted, and saving over 3,000 tonnes of CO2
Power For Good Cooperative – Solar Energy Funding assistance for start-up costs for this co-operative of individuals from different faith communities. Read more here
The Kindling Trust – Farmstart Manchester Funding assistance for this ecologically sustainable society which works with communities, farmers, activists and policymakers. Read more>>
Great Oaks School – Wildlife Pond Trust has provided funding towards a pond with a dipping platform for the students who learning difficulties, experienced emotional or physical trauma or have missed significant periods of education.
Findhorn Foundation – Park Edible Landscape The Trust provided funding towards creating the Park Edible Landscape on a piece of previously derelict land.
Suffolk Owl Sanctuary The Sanctuary provides care & rehabilitation of owls and Birds of Prey, and the promotion of owl conservation throughout the UK and beyond. The Naturesave Trust provided funding towards the materials and equipment to build nesting boxes to help the dwindling population of barn owls.
Community Food Initiatives – North East This social enterprise improves health and well-being, contributes to regeneration, increases employability and creates employment and with disadvantaged and communities by promoting fruit, veg, pulses, healthy snacks consumption and encouraging volunteering. The Trust provided funding towards helping the food reach the end consumer.
Dorset Wildlife Trust – Saving Dorset’s Bats The Trust funded 50 bat boxes for the Powerstock Common Nature reserve, a rare gem hidden away in West Dorset.
Scottish Seabird Centre – SOS Puffin The Trust has helped the Scottish Seabird Centre by pledging funding towards their project to clear the island of Craigleith of an invasive tree mallow, which had led to the decline in the population of the breeding pairs of Puffin.
Sustrans – The Dartmoor Way The Trust provided funding to help Sustrans create The Dartmoor Way Cycle Route, a 95 mile-long circular route cycling around Dartmoor National park
Marine Stewardship Council – Fish & Kids Funding an educational programme that brings the Marine Stewardship Council’s message of safeguarding seafood resources into Primary Schools.
New Caledonian Woodlands – Woodlands Weekend Project Funding for woodland management courses and activities to encourage environmental sustainability and to support people to improve their mental well-being.
Egni – Solar Energy Cooperative The Trust provided funding towards start-up costs for Egni’s development of solar energy on community-owned buildings in Wales.
West Solent Solar Coop – Initial Grant Funding The provision of a grant to help get this solar cooperative project off the ground.
Scottish Crofting Federation – Common Grazings Event Financial support for this event designed to safeguard and promote the rights, livelihoods and culture of crofters and their communities.
Sutton Community Farm – Electric Vehicle Funding to support the purchase of an electric van, to help with a vegbox scheme at this community space.
Cambrian Railways – Orchard Project Funding for equipment to help establish an orchard alongside the heritage steam railway
Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery – Expansion Project The Trust supported a project designed to scale up the ability to produce lobsters, to release back into the sea.
Findhorn Foundation – New Education Building Funding towards a new educational building at the spiritual community eco-village and holistic education centre.
Lancaster Beekeepers – Dark Bee Revival Project The Trust assisted in setting up new Bee colonies of the endangered British Dark Bee.
Wirral Barn Owl Trust – Barn Owl Nest Box & Camera Project The trust funded 24 cameras plus associated materials for this wild barn owl conservation group.
Kemerton Conservation Trust – Crayfish Conservation In partnership with Buglife to support this project to ensure the future survival of the British White-clawed Crayfish.
Alastair Sawday’s Canopy & Stars – Startup Project The funding from the Naturesave Trust helped in the startup of the ultra low impact, sustainable travel company – Canopy & Stars.
The Trails Trust – New Website The Trust awarded a grant towards the cost of a new website for the Trails Trust, who promote non-motorised health, sport and leisure activities which support tourism and the local economy and protect our heritage of paths, trails and country lanes.
The Greenhouse Trust – Training and educational materials The trust provided a grant to enable The Greenhouse Trust to develop volunteer training, and education and briefing materials.
Refurbiz Wiltshire & Swindon – Training and educational materials This grant was to assist Refurbiz to alleviate fuel poverty and provide second lives for discarded electrical appliances.
Edinburgh Cyrenians – Additional hives for apiary The extension of the apiary was a valuable addition to the farm that helps vulnerable young people.
Glebelands City Growers – Essential equipment The Trust provided a grant to purchase a rotavator, an essential bit of equipment crucial for our soil preparation in this community market garden
Bradford Environmental Action Group – Forest of Bradford The Trust contributed towards the planting of 30,000 trees in the 2003/2004 season. The grant also gave the opportunity to unlock additional funding to support the project
Shropshire Hills – Discovery Centre Funding for the purchase of renewable energy kits to enable school children to have first-hand experience of renewable technology.
Ackers Adventure Wind Turbine – Bat Survey Funding for a Bat Survey to ensure the go-ahead of a 20KW wind turbine at this site in Birmingham.
Transition Town Lewes – Eco Opem House Website Trust funding towards a website to share knoweledge on households who have achieved energy reductions and lowered carbon emmissions.
Aclet Close Nursery school – Wildlife Project Grant for planting trees, shrubs and grasses which will provide a habitat for a range of organisms, from small invertebrates upwards, and encourage butterflies and birds to populate and thrive in the area.
Chirk Bank Community – Allotments and Gardens Created five allotments and a community garden on the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site.
Illston on the Hill Village Hall – Energy Conservation Project The Trust contributed towards a solar array designed to cover much of the village halls electricity consumption and provide income for the community from the feed-in tariff.
New Star College – Camping Pods Grant awarded to National Star’s Outdoor Area Project, to convert a derelict outdoor area into a vibrant outdoor learning space for young people with complex disabilities.
The New Art Exchange – Renewable Excellence Funding new solar panels to reduce carbon emissions and create new revenues to enhance and deliver community, outreach and young people’s services with and for the local community.
Sheringham Woodfields School Grant funding for this specialist school to build a bespoke wheelchair accessible glass-free greenhouse which has been installed onto a newly laid concrete pad.
The National Lobster Hatchery – Expansion Grant funding to assist in the scaling up of all aspects of lobster production, allowing more to be released into the sea each year.
The Future Trees Trust – Promotional Materials This small grant was designed to assist the organisation to communicate their cause professionally at exhibitions and events.
Whitby Esk Energy – Community Hydro Grant funding for a community-owned 50kW Archimedes screw hydroelectric turbine on the River Esk at Ruswarp, near Whitby.
