GrantScape is committed to improving the natural environment and the quality of life of local communities through our grant programmes. Since 1997, the charity has awarded grants totalling over £65 million to a wide variety of deserving projects. Of this figure, £8 million has been awarded through our very popular Biodiversity Challenge Fund to support major nature conservation projects across England and Wales.

With the UK’s wildlife and habitats under increasing threat, a continuing commitment is required to halt the loss of our precious biodiversity. For 2008, we have therefore allocated a further £1.7 million to the GrantScape Biodiversity Challenge Fund, which will be split as follows:

 £100,000 for a nature conservation challenge in Bedfordshire and Luton (our head office location) for small community projects;

 £300,000 for an exciting new grant programme for Inner London designed to increase support for urban nature conservation projects which bring people closer to nature;

 £1,300,000 for a national biodiversity challenge for England and Wales, delivering nature conservation benefits on a significant scale.

We are particularly keen to maximise the number of nature conservation projects that can be supported through the latter two initiatives and so are now looking for potential partners to build on the funds that GrantScape is contributing.  We very much hope that this opportunity is something that will interest other funders, private philanthropists and companies, whether they: 

 are already active environmental funders;

 have not supported nature conservation projects in the past (perhaps due to insufficient funding or experience to warrant a dedicated grant programme), but would perhaps now like to do so;

 are unable to provide grants for actual conservation works, but might be interested in funding specific elements within nature conservation projects. For instance, by providing youth volunteering opportunities or by improving associated amenities;

 would like to investigate other means of supporting these grant programmes.

If you would like to informally explore the possibilities and benefits of co-operation, whatever its nature, Matt Young and Andrew Budd at GrantScape would be very pleased to hear from you:

Telephone: 01908 545780    
Email: matthew.young@grantscape.org.uk     or andrew.budd@grantscape.org.uk