National Lottery Grants for Heritage – £250,000 to £5million
The Networks for Nature initiative, led by Chester Zoo, will create 14 new jobs and work closely with community groups and partner organisations. It will combine expertise from the local council, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, the Canal and River Trust, Sustrans and The Land Trust.
The grant will be used to restore or create 20 ponds, nearly 3,000 metres of hedgerow and over 100 hectares of Cheshire habitats. A year-long school programme will reach 4,500 students, inspiring them to enrich their school grounds for both wildlife and their community. The initiative will also support 90 young people through an environmental leadership course – embedding vital conservation skills in the local area.
Chester Zoo has prepared the ground for the network by championing green initiatives in schools, holding networking events for community groups and training Wildlife Champions in practical skills. The Zoo's team has also coordinated plans for wellbeing walking routes across the region, linking the habitats targeted for improvement.
Hannah Brooks, Senior Community Participation and Engagement Manager at Chester Zoo, says: “There has been a lot of work behind the scenes to bring people together and find out how we can all collaborate to improve spaces for wildlife and people.
“Individual action can be difficult but collectively we can inspire each other and build a network that could really transform things, for the environment in Cheshire and for the people who live here.”
Find out more about Networks for Nature, or discover how we’re supporting landscape, park and nature projects across the UK.
