Community Nature Fund

Tom Marshall

Our Community Nature Fund supports community projects that are focused on creating, increasing or improving spaces for nature in the Peak District. Projects could include wildflower meadows, hedgerows, trees, ponds, community orchards or other nature projects.

What does the grant cover?

  • Grants between £500 and £5000 are available towards capital expenditure.
  • You can apply for landscape features (such as trees and ponds), built items (e.g. fencing) and equipment and tools to deliver the outcomes in your application. If your project involves planting trees or other plants, we expect these to be appropriate native species unless there is a clear reason for doing something different.
  • You must be able to show how the costs you are applying for will contribute to supporting biodiversity and/or improving access to nature for people in your community.
  • Grants cannot be used to pay for your organisation’s general running costs, work already undertaken, recoverable VAT or costs associated with fulfilling a statutory obligation or planning consent.

Eligibility

  • Sites must be within the National Park boundary and should not already be managed for nature (e.g. Sites of Special Scientific Interest).
  • Parish Councils, CICs, CIOs, charities, and constituted voluntary groups can apply. We are also happy to accept applications from smallholders as long as the projects are not-for-profit and can demonstrate clear benefits for biodiversity.
  • The applicant must be the landowner or have the landowner’s permissions to carry out the project.
  • We are interested to hear about the wider benefits of your project for your community but please remember that the main purpose of the Community Nature Fund is to support nature and increase biodiversity. This is the key basis on which your application will be judged.

Important information

  • If your application is successful, you will be asked to submit a simple impact report to tell us about the difference that your project has made.
  • You will also be responsible for maintaining any equipment and built items (gates, fences etc) paid for with your grant for a minimum of 5 years.
  • The Peak District Foundation will share information from your application and your impact report with the Peak District National Park Authority to assess your application and share the outcomes of your project.

How do I apply?

  • Get quotes for capital costs (where possible you should try to get at least two or three comparable quotes for any significant costs to ensure that you get the best value for money).
  • Download an application form, fill in and return to us at hello@peakdistrictfoundation.org.uk.
  • The next deadline for applications is 30th September 2025 and you will hear the outcome of your application by the end of October.