Mini grant initiative makes a major difference to local communities
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Trust’s Force for Nature mini grant scheme has now been in place for a year and is celebrating all that’s been achieved since its launch.
Set up last May, the scheme invited community groups and local organisations to apply for mini grants of up to £500. Projects needed to either support biodiversity, deliver on conservation or climate change, or educate others on those topics.
The initiative proved popular, with 29 applications received during its first year, requesting a total of £14,500 in grants from a grant pot of just £5,000.
A total of 12 community sites received Force for Nature funding to support biodiversity improvements. Further to this, 10 community groups consisting of both children and adults have been involved in conservation actions, and two community areas are now cleared of rubbish and litter on a regular basis.
At Mountain Chapel in Llanteg, pollinator group volunteers reported a wealth of wildflowers, including wild orchids, cat’s ear and sheep’s-bit, after leaving an area of low-growing grass unmown during the course of their project.
Force for Nature funding provided equal delights for pupils at Harri Tudur School, who picked up a few basic gardening skills during their project, as well as learning about conservation and local wildlife.
Other activities carried out thanks to mini grants include the creation of wildflower meadows and butterfly gardens, a community pond clearance, a mini BioBlitz, the planting of trees and pollinator-friendly plants and sensory planting in community play areas and sports fields.
Jessica Morgan, Director of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Trust, said: “We are incredibly proud of what the Force for Nature communities have been able to achieve during 2021. As well as giving us an excellent opportunity to engage with community groups and help them deliver activities and projects aligned with our charitable objectives, the project has supported biodiversity, created new habitats and meadows for pollinators to thrive, and cleared community spaces of rubbish and litter.”
To find out more about Force For Nature grants, visit: https://pembrokeshirecoasttrust.wales/force-for-nature-grants/.
This project has been funded by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Trust and Local Places for Nature.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Trust is a charity registered by the UK Charity Commission. Its registered charity number is 1179281.
